Sam Dastyari (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the bill stand as printed.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I just want to restate the questions that I asked during my contribution to the second reading debate. They are very simple. At the coalition campaign launch in August of last year, then opposition leader Mr Abbott promised to fully restore the private health insurance rebate within a decade. Is that still coalition policy?

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I did actually indicate to Senator Xenophon in my response in my speech—perhaps he did not listen—that the government does intend to honour all its election commitments.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The supplementary question to that is: does the government acknowledge that this measure in this bill will make it even more difficult—that the government is now even further from achieving that goal as a result of the measures in this bill?

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Xenophon, I can indicate that the government believes that this is entirely the appropriate course of action to take at this point in time and certainly backs the legislation.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Respectfully, to the minister, through you, Mr Temporary Chairman: that was not the question. The question was: does the government acknowledge that the coalition's policy statement at their campaign launch in August last year to fully restore the private health insurance rebate within a decade is now going to be more difficult to achieve or that it is now further from achieving it as a result of the measures contained in this bill? It is a fairly straightforward proposition.

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Xenophon, I can indicate that I have answered that in the previous two answers.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For the record, the minister has not answered that. I cannot take it any further, but clearly the government is walking away from its commitment to the people of Australia at the last election.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN: Order! The Senate will come to order!

Senator Kim Carr interjecting—

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN: Order, Senator Carr! The Senate will come to order!

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is clearly not the case, Senator Xenophon.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will help the minister. In August last year, then opposition leader Mr Abbott promised to fully restore the private health insurance rebate within a decade. The measures in this bill actually claw away from that promise and will make keeping it more difficult. Unless I am missing the logic in terms of what this bill is intended to achieve, I cannot see how the minister can deny that proposition.

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Xenophon, I have answered the questions and I do not have anything further to add.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN: The question is that the bill stand as printed.

Question agreed to.

Bill reported without amendments; report adopted.