Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I guess it does hurt those opposite when they actually hear some facts that they very conveniently want to misrepresent or forget. It is a bit like, Senator Macdonald, your selective memory during the earlier debate on the Medicare surcharge levy when you were talking about hospitals and waiting lists throughout Queensland. I would just like to remind the chamber that since we—that is, the Rudd Labor government—came into government there has been, as I said, $1 billion invested in the health system and there is $600 million going to help alleviate the waiting lists. For example, there is $27 million to undertake 4,000 procedures in Queensland and $34 million paid to Victoria for nearly 6,000 procedures to be undertaken.

These are clear demonstrations, but we cannot come in, switch on a light and change everything after 12 long years of a government that not only neglected people in health but also failed to invest in skills training and education for the future. We actually have a plan, our National Health Reform Plan. We have developed the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission, which will be looking at improving the long-term benefits to rural Australians in health care.