Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health. Will the Minister update the House on how the government is taking action to guarantee Medicare and fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme? Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Swan, who, along with every member on this side of the House, is guaranteeing Medicare and guaranteeing the NDIS. By contrast, those on the other side are threatening the NDIS—and it is part of a broader pattern. They started the Medicare freeze; we are ending the Medicare freeze. They ripped $4½ billion out of private health insurance—

Ms Husar interjecting—

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

The member for Lindsay will cease interjecting.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are guaranteeing private health insurance. They ripped over $2 billion out of the PBS; we have just invested $1.8 billion in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. They ripped $660 million out of Medicare for doctors. We are ending the very thaw that they began, and we are doing that with $1 billion being invested into Medicare indexation. We are doing that with $2.4 billion going directly into Medicare as part of a broader $10 billion national long-term health plan. So there is real action to restore and take steps to improve our health scheme.

We are also guaranteeing Medicare with the Medicare Guarantee Fund, which, under law, will ensure that the first call on the budget is Medicare. And two things go into that: general taxes and the Medicare levy. The Medicare levy is the first 1½ per cent of the Medicare and NDIS levy. Because of decisions taken by the previous government, half of that goes to support the NDIS. But that only ever went part of the way. What we have seen, and what the Treasurer has shown, is that there is a $55 billion black hole. As we made the decision to support extending the Medicare levy, we presumed that there would be bipartisan support; most on that side presumed it too. But I have to say that, as I opened up The Age today—the large print edition—

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

The Minister knows the rules on props.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and read 'Shorten ignores advice of majority in shadow cabinet, Medicare splits ALP', I was astonished to find that the Leader of the Opposition had ignored the advice of 75 per cent of his shadow cabinet. It is a question of who on their side did not support the Medicare levy. We know that, in his heart of hearts, the Leader of the Opposition supports it. We have already heard the first part of his previous quote.

Ms Husar interjecting—

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

The member for Lindsay is warned!

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What we also know is that he said three years ago that 'no-one could be that dumb not to support the NDIS levy'. He has said it again: 'No-one could be that dumb. I'm sure we'll get bipartisan support because to do anything else would be a betrayal of Aussies'—his words, his views, his betrayal of Australians right now. What a disgrace! (Time expired)