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

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Regional Development (Senator Nash) to questions without notice asked by Senators Lines and Ketter today relating to hospital funding.

Today, in this place, we heard yet again more rubbish from Minister Nash in relation to health. It might be an idea if the minister actually went to the budget papers of 2014-15, because it states on page 7 that there is a cut to health—to Commonwealth funding for public hospitals—of $57 billion. That is $57 billion cut from health. I often talk about the fact that, when Mr Abbott was the Minister for Health, he cut health by a billion dollars. But here we have the new Prime Minister cutting health at a rate of $57 billion.

The crucial health workforce training programs have been cut by $595 million. That is $595 million that has been cut out of the workforce training programs. They have ripped another $146 million out of the health prevention and ehealth programs and, most damaging of all, they have ripped another $650 million out of Medicare by slashing bulkbilling for diagnostic imaging and pathology. And we know what the real effects are going to mean to the Australian community when you have such savage cuts. It will have an enormous impact in my home state of Tasmania, because we have the fastest ageing population in this country. So Tasmanians are going to feel these cuts more so than others—

Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am ageing just listening to you.

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

except perhaps those in Senator Bernardi's home state of South Australia. So it would be nice if Senator Bernardi were to speak up in his caucus and stop these outrageous attacks on health. But, no, he is silent on this issue. We now learn that the Prime Minister has been working on a plan to privatise Medicare payments. He is considering a plan to allow private insurers into Medicare and he is now looking at killing off Labor's dental scheme for kids. How much more can this heartless government do in their arrogant grab for more money?

This week we will be continuing to debate the Senate reform legislation—the legislation where the dirty, grubby deal was done with the Greens behind closed doors—and that will mean that, if this government are re-elected at the election in July, they will have outright control in this chamber. That will mean that every health cut will go ahead; every attack on older Australians will go ahead; every attack on education will go ahead; and there will not be any hope whatsoever of the Gonski funding for years 5 and 6—everything attack that we on this side of the chamber have spoken up against. And have no doubt at all that the GST increase will be back on the agenda. Along with further cuts to health, we will see an increase in the GST.

In the Howard years, when I first came to this place, I had to experience what it was like when a government controls both houses of parliament. They just ram through all their legislation. We have just seen a touch of that this afternoon. Since we came into this place today, we have seen the dirty, grubby deals that have been done by those opposite behind closed doors with the Greens, even by Senator Bernardi—of all people to get into bed with the Greens! Australians cannot afford this. In my home state of Tasmania, the Liberal state government have said time and time again that they want their money back from this government because the real health cuts—the cuts of $57 billion—are going to have an enormous impact on whether or not GPs will be able to get their patients into hospitals.

The minister comes into this chamber and says, 'Trust me; don't trust the AMA, because they have got it wrong.' But she does not even know what is in her own government's budget papers. Enough is enough. The Australian people will not support a government that continually attack those who are most vulnerable in the community. And those on that side who have failed to speak up on these very important issues should hang their heads in shame.

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am so pleased that Senator Polley mentioned the budget papers and what is happening to funding. Yes, we have the perspective that is put forward by the AMA and we have the perspective that is put forward by those opposite, but Senator Polley has so helpfully said, 'What do the budget papers say?' Well, I just happen to have in front of me here table 8 from the budget, which is a summary of expenses in health, looking at the expenditure in this area. It is fascinating to look at the health spending across the forward estimates. It says it was $67.037 million in 2014-15 and $69.381 million in 2015-16 and is $71.634 million in 2016-17, $74.076 in 2017-18 and $79.987 million in 2018-19. I did not major in maths at university, but I have to say that even somebody with a basic understanding can see that that is a year-on-year increase in the total expenditure on health.

But let us break that down into the areas that people raised in question time today. We see that funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health increases from $740 million to $743 million to $809 million to $893 million and to $931 million by 2018-19. In terms of assistance to the states for public hospitals—which was another one of the areas raised—we see that funding was $15,459 million in 2014-15 and goes through to $18,873 million by 2018-19. So what we see are year-on-year increases. Senator Polley made a comment about a government that cuts funding to health and to those who are most in need. As I have just shown, this government is increasing funding year on year compared to what has happened in the past.

But let us look at the side of politics that does cut health. Just last year in South Australia I was in Mt Gambier speaking to the community there, who were quite upset because the funding for palliative care services had been cut. There had been a 50 per cent cut in palliative care services. The state minister for health at the time—Labor minister Jack Snelling—said that that was because of 'these dastardly federal funding cuts'.

Senator Lines interjecting—

When I looked into it—unlike what Senator Lines just said—it was not right; it was a complete fabrication. The fact is that, going back to the partnership agreement between the then Labor government in Canberra and the Labor government in South Australia, the funding that had been allocated for palliative care services ran out in 2014. So, contrary to the comment from those opposite and the comment from Mr Snelling that these were a result of the coalition cuts, this was actually an agreement that was reached between the South Australian government and the Labor federal government that resulted in that cut.

What did we see? We saw the pattern again of those opposite, and their counterparts in the state, trying to blame the coalition. But, if we have a look at their own conduct, we can see that, not only did they sign that agreement; but, going back to the 2012-13 MYEFO, the Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute at the Australian National University—that is an organisation that is not a great supporter of the coalition—did some inquiries into that, and this is what they said:

The hidden disaster in the 2012-13 MYEFO—

and I pause there to note that was under a Labor government—

is the hit (unacknowledged by anyone in the government) taken by preventive and public health. We know that $1.5 billion over four years … has been cut from the National Health Reform funding.

So, if you want to look at health spending, look at the coalition government; it increases funding year on year in every state around the country, whether it is for Indigenous health or hospital health. Despite the claims from those opposite, if we look at the facts the facts show that they are the ones who actually cut funding, and in this case it was up to $1.5 billion from the national health reform funding. There is only one side of politics the Australian people can trust— (Time expired)

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I also rise to put on the record remarks regarding answers to questions today, which I would call 'nonanswers' really, from the Assistant Minister for Health, Senator Nash, to questions that were put by Senator Lines and Senator Ketter. In those questions Senator Lines and Senator Ketter referred to that illustrious group of medicos, the Australian Medical Association. Essentially, what we found the minister saying was: 'Ignore the AMA. Ignore any contrary views. Just trust me. I am the minister. I am telling you the truth.' But what we saw from her was a load of porkies. And we have seen exactly the same performance by Senator Fawcett—who is, I will grant you, a very hardworking senator here in this parliament. Nonetheless, he has denied the fact and denied the reality that in their own budget papers—when they were saying, 'We've got to cut. We've got to save the Australian economy. We've got to slash the costs that we can't bear'—they cut $57 billion from health; that is a fact.

While they dance around the issue and pretend that they have not done that, and talk about 'year-on-year increases', the reality is there was a deal done between the Labor government and the states and territories around this country to properly and adequately fund our hospitals so that we would have reasonable waiting times for people who were seeking elective surgery, so that we would have capacity in emergency departments for people to access the care that they need and so that we would have a safe and sustainable system of funding our hospitals.

Instead of honouring that carefully negotiated and calibrated agreement, this government, on the rise of Tony Abbott, came in and immediately tore up those partnership agreements with every single state and territory. The contempt they showed for Australian people and Australian parliaments and the contempt they showed for those carefully constructed agreements was on display immediately. They banked those cuts when they tore up those agreements with complete contempt for the Australian people and with complete contempt for the fact that Australians deserve access to health. While they were trying to destroy Medicare, that was not enough for them; they have gone after the hospitals as well. How much is the impact of this?

We would like to know what the New South Wales government has to say about it, but we cannot get the New South Wales minister to stand up for anything. She is in the Liberal government, and is in cahoots with this lot over here, and has gone absolutely silent on what they are doing to the New South Wales health system. She has gone quiet, but other states are talking. In an article from 4 November last year, by Julia Medew, the health editor, the headline tells it all: 'Federal health funding cuts equivalent to closing two major Victorian hospitals'. That is the scale of the cuts that we are seeing from this government. That is the impact. You have heard it around the country: health ministers, but not in New South Wales, screaming for assistance from the federal government.

In Victoria, the cuts were so severe, according to Ms Peake, that the growth rate that they expected to increase of 9.4 per cent from 2014 to 2015 did not happen. Instead they got a cut. They said that the continual funding growth—that we heard about from Senator Fawcett—would slow to about 4.3 per cent, which is less than the cost of delivering the services. That is why the comments that we are hearing from the AMA are the truth and why the minister's comments are absolutely a set of misinformation of the Senate.

We are seeing the translation of cuts by this Liberal government into fewer services for patients. We are seeing increasing waiting times in emergency departments for unacceptable periods. We are seeing hospital capacity shrinking. We are seeing doctors who are unable to get their patients into hospital or to keep them there for their own health and wellbeing, or to receive the critical care that they require.

We are seeing exactly what Dr Brian Owler has put on the record. We are seeing that because of the cuts of this government. They cannot be trusted on health. After going after the hospitals, they are also have a real good crack at trying to destroy Medicare and cutting pathology services—making it harder for people with diabetes, with cancer and with chronic illnesses to get the tests that they need to keep them well. In the seat of Robertson, in the seat of Dobell, in the seat of Paterson, in the seat of Riverina, in the seat of Hume—right across New South Wales—this Liberal government have cut funding to hurt the local people— (Time expired)

Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was extraordinary listening to Senator O'Neill and Senator Polley before her, because they talk about spending like money is just manufactured out of thin air. The reality is money comes from taxpayers. Those on that side of the chamber have demonstrated how poor they are at taking responsibility for other people's money. The only thing they can do is fritter it away and cast it amongst the deserving Australian people, and rack up of billions and billions of dollars worth of debt for generations to come.

Senator O'Neill was thrown out of the last government. She was thrown out of her seat in the last government because she could not accept responsibility. That government was the most spendthrift government ever. It was the worst government in the history of this country. That is the problem that Senator O'Neill has when it comes to credibility. It is the same with Senator Polley. They talk about how they need to spend more money on this and more money on that, but there is not one iota of responsibility mentioned in any of this.

The reality we have to deal with is that we have to prioritise. Senator O'Neill and Senator Polley, and most of those on the other side, need a swift lesson in our Constitution. They clearly do not understand the separation of powers. The hospital system, which Senator O'Neill has been whining about for the last five minutes, is the responsibility of the states. Of course the states have been terrible economic managers as well—most of them Labor states. In my own state of South Australia, the hospital system is in a parlous position. It has all sorts of problems because of the nearly 20 years of neglect under Labor governance. Yet those on that side of the chamber will say that somehow it is the federal coalition's fault. Well, it is not. They should check the Constitution.

You cannot suspend your knowledge of Australia's history and its constitutional arrangements when you come into this place. You cannot suspend your own common sense. Yet that is what those on that side of the chamber seem to think. They also seem to think they can suspend the law of economics, which is: unless you have money to pay for it, you have to borrow it. Those on that side of the chamber have set in path a motion of unsustainable spending from which we are still trying to recover—the hundreds of billions of dollars that they started spending, with promises of permanent programs that they could not fund and that they still cannot fund.

Their latest thought bubble is to start to decrease the capital gains tax to make us even less competitive for international investment; also to stop negative gearing. Negative gearing has been part of our tax system; it is a fundamental principle that is attached to it about people investing and being able to offset the costs of an investment and the income from that investment against the costs attached to it. Those on that side of the chamber said, 'No, no, this is just about housing.' But they neglected to mention the people who invest in commercial real estate, which provides accommodation for businesses to grow; they neglected to mention those who borrow to invest in private businesses—that is outlawed under that mob over there; and they neglected to mention those who invest in the share market and borrow money to invest—you are not allowed to deduct your expenses associated with that. All of these things have not been thought through. In their rush to ingratiate themselves with those whom they want great support from, they make these ad hoc decisions.

Those on the other side of the chamber need to grow up and take some responsibility for their own decision making and their own failings and come to the conclusion that the more government interferes, the more things go bad. That is simply what happens in this country, particularly under that mob. On this side of the chamber, we recognise that the one that governs least is the one that governs best.

If people can take more responsibility for themselves, if we take less tax from them, they will be able to make better decisions in their long-term interest than a government ever will. It is a simple premise. Instead of that, instead of responsibility, we get carping, whining and bleating. We get complaints. They look for those who are suddenly disadvantaged. Rather than trying to uplift them, they want to make them more dependent upon the bosom of government. They say: 'We will look after you. Come into our warm embrace.' But as they embrace you, they smother the life out of you. They are trying to crush the life out of Australia—their innovation, their business sense—and replace it with the government. I think that is fundamentally wrong.

If they want to come in here and be credible, then stop complaining about the implications of what you set in train. When you can do that and say, 'We got it wrong' then maybe people will listen to you, and maybe then you will be more deserving of people paying attention to what you have to say.

Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too rise to take note of answers given by the assistant minister for health, Senator Nash to questions from Labor senators today. Before I do that, I think someone ought to inform Senator Bernardi that there is no one-speech-fits-all. We just heard the usual rhetoric that we expect from Senator Bernardi. But he did actually confirm that the government has indeed cut the health budget, because he was at great pains to point out how the government needs to be fiscally responsible. He went further than Senator Nash did.

I asked her specifically about comments made by the Australian Medical Association—a very conservative body, nevertheless a body concerned about the health of Australians. When the Australian Medical Association starts to complain about cuts to the public health system then we should really listen. Since almost the term of the Turnbull Abbott government, the AMA has been very concerned about significant cuts to spending in the public health area. You only have to look at my state of Western Australia which is in a disgraceful state.

The Fiona Stanley Hospital, a public hospital that the Barnett government privatised, is 18 months late in opening and has cost millions and millions in budget overspend, and it is the same now for the Children's Hospital. Certainly the Barnett Liberal government has demonstrated that it cannot manage anything at all and it particularly cannot manage public health. Western Australia's credit rating has been reduced two or three times under the Barnett government.

The other group that Senator Nash referred to today was the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation. I recall Senator Nash saying that she has very good relationships with NACCHO. She might have good relationships with them, but they have well and truly documented and spoken about at length about the cuts to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health programs right across the nation, cuts that NACCHO believe will go to very provision of essential services in rural, regional and remote Australia. Senator Nash is actually a National Party senator, purportedly representing the bush, but it is a long time since the National Party in Australia has represented anyone's interests other than its own. NACCHO, like the Australian Medical Organisation—a credible organisation—is really putting down on the public record exactly where those cuts have taken place. We have seen cuts to NACCHO in the area of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in communicable diseases, in substance use treatment services and in drug and alcohol services. There are just five specialised Indigenous programs left.

Just a week or so ago we saw the absolutely shameful death of a young 10-year-old girl who took her own life in the Kimberley. We certainly do not need to be looking at cuts to community organisations—particularly in the area of health—that go to the level of suicides especially in the Kimberley, which is the worst in the world. The leading cause of death for young Aboriginal people now is suicide, and what a shameful record that is. We do not need to see cuts to health, cuts to programs and cuts particularly to preventative programs that go to closing the gap.

One of the cuts that came out for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the woeful, shameful first Abbott government budget—the one that Mr Turnbull has signed up to—was to the Indigenous smoking program. We have very high rates of smoking amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, but we have just seen that program slashed and burnt. We know that to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health we need to put Aboriginal people in charge of these programs. We need Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led solutions put in place by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people—not whitefella solutions but solutions led by local people and local communities. Smoking was one area where we were seeing some success, but that program has been cut. We have had nothing but weasel words from the government today. They have cut spending in health.

Question agreed to.