Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Health, Senator Ludwig. I refer the minister to the government's decision to effectively deport 80 Australian-trained medical students after its failure to fund their internships and the breakdown in negotiations with the states. Does the minister agree that people studying medicine in Australia have a reasonable expectation of being provided internships in Australia in order to complete their qualifications?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Nash for her continued interest in rural matters, particularly in the health portfolio. My brief does not have anything specific on this particular matter. It is certainly a matter that I will take on notice and get back to you with a proper brief. It does sound that the question would fall more properly within the immigration portfolio as a general response.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's a Penny Wong line.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is deportation.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is more accurate. I will get a brief from the health minister but once we start talking about deportation matters it does seem to be more relevant to the immigration minister and decisions made by the immigration minister. It does seem, though, that if we talk about the key messages from this issue, the Department of Health and Ageing and the minister have been very focused on providing support for rural Australia, providing additional measures, unlike the previous government, which ripped a billion dollars out of the health system. Since 2007, we have been delivering better health services for Australians. We have delivered more than 900,000 elective surgery operations, 2.2 million GP superclinic services. If the substance of the question was to say that this—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You've taken it on notice.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

But if the substance of the question was to say that this government has not been proactive in the health portfolio, then it would be an error to say that. If you look at the work that the minister has done in this area, particularly by increasing hospital funding by 50 per cent and investing in emergency department upgrades of 37 hospitals, then it would be wrong to suggest that. (Time expired)

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Is the minister then aware that the Minister for Health, Ms Plibersek, said on ABC Newcastle that part of this is a good news story. Can the minister explain what part of sending Australian internships overseas is a 'good news story'? What is the point of training more medical students through Australian universities if they cannot finish their training in this country?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In this instance, I thank Senator Nash for her continued interest in rural health matters. If we talk about additional internships, Commonwealth funding may be available to fund the additional 100 intern positions in the private sector through the redirection of $10 million from the Prevocational General Practice Placements Program, but it goes to the heart of what I said earlier. If you look at what this government has done, particularly in providing training, higher education reforms that have resulted in 150,000 students attending university, you will see health disciplines have experienced substantial growth, including growth between 2007 and 2011. There has been a 39 per cent growth in the number of medical students. I think Senator Nash, in this instance, is looking at the wrong end of this stick. (Time expired)

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given that the shortage of medical practitioners in regional Australia has been estimated to be as high at 1,600, how can the government possibly defend its internship decision considering the cost of fixing the problem is only $8 million, or about one-tenth of what Labor spent on advertising its carbon tax compensation?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Nash for her interest. As I was saying, the Commonwealth funding may be available for the additional—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Ludwig, resume your seat for a moment. I need to hear the answer.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If we do want to talk about advertising, if you look at the Howard government's last year in office, you will see they spent—

Senator Brandis interjecting—

My recollection is, and I am happy for Senator Brandis to correct me, that they spent something in the order of $275 million on advertising. Don't lecture us on advertising, Senator Nash. If you look at your record, I suspect you would be very shocked. Going to the substance of the issue, Commonwealth funding may be available for the additional 100 internships in the private sector through the redirection of $10 million from the Prevocational General Practice Placements Program, PGPPP. This can be achieved by reducing the number in the PGPPP in 2013. (Time expired)

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.