Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. The Haymarket Clinic, in Darlinghurst, has provided free medical, nursing and welfare services to homeless and vulnerable people for more than 40 years but has been forced to close its doors because of the Prime Minister's cuts. Why is it that the Prime Minister can find over $170 million to spend on an unnecessary, damaging and divisive plebiscite but cannot find $900,000 to keep the Haymarket Clinic open?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for her question. I remind the honourable member that my government is spending more money on health than ever before. This financial year, we will invest $71.4 billion in health, including $18 billion to help fund the public hospitals run by the states and territories. And that includes an additional $2.9 billion for public hospital services from 2017-18 to 2019-20. We are committed to a strong public health system generously funded, well administered, working with the states and territories always to ensure that we get the maximum outcome in terms of health for Australians from the investment of the public funds for which we are responsible.

The honourable members opposite, as we know, disgracefully, dishonestly, exploited the concerns of older Australians in particular about Medicare with their shocking Medicare lie.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

I heard the member for Grayndler say, 'Here they come!' You see, for them, truth does not matter. That is the side that sent out a text message to millions of Australians, saying it was from Medicare—and they did not think there was anything wrong with that! What dishonesty! Imagine if that had been done by a bank or a corporation—Senator Dastyari would be right after them, he would be on fire.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Has the Prime Minister concluded his answer?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Oh yes, I think that is fine.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Sydney is seeking leave to table a document?

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to table the report of this clinic actually closing. It is no scare campaign. It is closed.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can see from here that that is a newspaper report. We have ruled on that previously, so I will not even ask if leave is available.

Ms Macklin interjecting—

No. There is also no law against listening to the rulings and abiding by the history and the practice, and that is that we do not table documents that are freely available—like newspaper reports or, for that matter, Hansard.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

They have been, but I do not think you will find that there will be many tabled in the months ahead.

Mr Pyne interjecting—

Mr Albanese interjecting—

When the Leader of the House and the member for Grayndler are ready, the other 148 members of the House would like to resume question time I think. The member for Calare.