Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health, Senator Nash. The Prime Minister recently said that claims that his decision to abolish bulk-billing incentives will reduce funding for diagnostic imaging are false. Is the Prime Minister correct?

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

The Prime Minister is absolutely correct in his commitment to ensuring that we have a sustainable health system into the future. There is absolutely no doubt that it is only this coalition government that is prepared to take this country forward when it comes to a sustainable health system. We were left an economic mess by the previous Labor government that the Australian people elected us to fix. We will do that. That means that we have to take, occasionally, hard decisions, and this coalition government is prepared to do that. We are going to ensure that we have a sustainable health system into the future, and we will be putting the strategies in place to ensure that that happens.

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I refer to page 2 of the Australian Diagnostic Imaging Association's report, Safeguarding patients, which states that the government will reduce funding of diagnostic imaging services by $188 million. I ask again, Minister, is the Prime Minister correct?

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

The Prime Minister is correct and is correct in ensuring that we have the range of policies in place to ensure that we have a health system that works, a health system that is sustainable, unlike those on the other side, who seemingly could not care less if our future generations have a sustainable health system into the future—and we saw that by their actions when they were in government. They had six years to prove to the Australian people that they had any kind of vision for the future of the health system in this nation and they failed. We were left an economic mess by the previous Labor government that the Australian people have elected us to fix, and that is what we are committed to do. We will continue to take the decisions that are necessary to ensure that this country has a sustainable and prosperous future.

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Does the minister agree with the Australian Diagnostic Imaging Association that tests for thyroid cancer could now cost Australians up to $1,326 in up-front fees? How many Australians will be deterred from seeking these tests as a result of this price hike?

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

I do note that there has been a range of commentary around these issues, but I will say that it is this government that is actually focused on a big-picture future for this nation. It is this government that is focused on the national interest.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. I have two senators on their feet. I will go to the manager. The manager has deferred to Senator Polley.

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order on relevance. I would ask you to call the minister to answer the question and make it relevant to the question. She has avoided saying anything at all about the up-front fees.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Polley. The minister is only 15 seconds into her answer.

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

This coalition government has put policies in place. We believe that taking modest reforms to the Australian people is the appropriate thing to do to ensure that we have a sustainable future when it comes to the health system.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. Senator Moore, a point of order?

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President; it is on direct relevance. The specific question was about the cost and the number of patients who will be affected by the increased cost. The minister now only has 30 seconds.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. Minister, I remind you of the question; you have 31 seconds in which to answer.

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

I am not going to speculate on a hypothetical question from the opposition. We are bringing the policies into place to ensure that we have a sustainable health system into the future, unlike the previous Labor government, which simply had no plan for the future of this nation.

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

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