Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It gives me great honour to ask what I think will be the last question of this session. I wish you all here in this chamber a very merry Christmas. I'm delighted to ask a serious policy question for the last question of the year. My question is to the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Senator Fierravanti-Wells, representing the Minister for Health.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, it is a serious question of policy.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator, please resume your seat. Order on my left! The clock wasn't reset. I was keeping count myself. I don't need instructions on how to count from you. I could barely hear Senator Reynolds asking the question. Senator Reynolds, please continue your question.

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said, my question is to Senator Fierravanti-Wells, representing the Minister for Health. I'd like to know if the minister can advise the Senate how the Turnbull government is investing in a better health future for all Australians.

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Reynolds for the question. I have been very pleased in recent weeks to be regularly apprising the Senate of the Turnbull government's many investments in a better health future for Australians. We will invest over $6 billion over the next five years on medical research alone. Yesterday's announcement of $640 million for the National Health and Medical Research Council is only an example of this. On top of that, we've been making announcements particularly in the area of medical research in the last two months, drawing on the $100 million in the medical research future fund, not forgetting our commitment to regional and rural areas, with the appointment of the National Rural Health Commissioner. Of course, those opposite wouldn't even know where regional and rural areas are in the country. Contrast that with Labor's record in health. You cut medical research, you paused the indexation of MBS fees, you cut billions from pharmacies and medicines, and your so-called health reform was just an absolute shambles—10 bureaucracies—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Fierravanti-Wells, please resume your seat. A point of order, Senator Reynolds?

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, I'm sitting right behind the minister and I'm having great trouble listening to her answer. I would ask that we listen in silence.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Reynolds. I will ask those on my left interjecting to allow those in very close proximity to Senator Fierravanti-Wells to hear the answer, and then we will be able to conclude question time.

Senator Wong interjecting—

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll take the interjection from Senator Wong. Kristina Keneally may not be interested, but some Australians are interested in what we are doing about health in this country. I was talking about Labor's track record in health: 10 bureaucracies and a 27 per cent increase in bureaucrats. You cut billions of dollars from private health insurance. You only delivered half of those GP superclinics. Remember the GP superclinics that didn't exist? You totally ignored regional and rural areas, and all that you could offer the people of Australia was 'Mediscare' and 'Medifraud'.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Reynolds, a supplementary question.

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for that response, and—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left! Senator Collins and Senator Polley, you've got a very loud voice. You're gifted with a voice, Senator Collins. I couldn't hear Senator Reynolds.

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just wait for it: there's more great news on health I'm sure you'll be happy with. Can the minister please outline to the Senate what these significant investments mean in practical terms for the health of Australians?

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For example, a recent $640,000 project grant to Macquarie University is seeking to protect the cells that die in the retina—just one piece of very good medical research which will help glaucoma and blindness. Another study funded by the Turnbull government at Macquarie University, at a cost of over $1 million, looks at future demands of maintaining quality aged-care services. Both these examples are in Bennelong. They reflect our commitment to and support for health investment in Bennelong, but they also demonstrate the work and the commitment that John Alexander has made to the people of Bennelong and that he will continue to make to the people of Bennelong. They do not deserve Kristina Keneally.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Final supplementary question, Senator Reynolds.

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left! There's only a minute to go. Order on my left!

Senator Polley interjecting—

Senator Fierravanti-Wells interjecting —

Senators Polley and Fierravanti-Wells!

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order! People seem to want to stay in the chamber longer than is necessary.

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a question worth waiting for, Mr President. Is the minister aware of any threats to the Turnbull government's effort to keep Australia at the forefront of domestic and international health care improvements?

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes: those opposite. The most recent example of this was Kristina Keneally criticising the hardworking staff of the Medicare office in Bennelong. Our Medicare staff do a great job. Perhaps those opposite don't really care about that, but they actually work very, very hard, and Australians rely on them.

I would call on Kristina Keneally to apologise to the staff at the Medicare office in Top Ryde. She lied about their work and she lied about waiting times just to get a cheap headline in the local press. This is another demonstration of her lack of judgement. She was not fit to be the Premier of New South Wales. She was put in there by Obeid and Tripodi, and she exercised very bad judgement as the Premier when Sam Dastyari was appointed Secretary-General of the ALP. She is an opportunist and is not fit to be the member for Bennelong. (Time expired)

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader (Tasmania)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order: could you remind the minister that she should be using people's proper titles when she's speaking.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Fierravanti-Wells, if you didn't use the parliamentary expression, I'd ask you to withdraw it. I did not hear it as there was a little bit of noise in the chamber.

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I referred to Senator Dastyari as simply 'Sam Dastyari', which we hope he will be one day.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I don't think the use of someone's name is unparliamentary. Senator Brandis.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For the fifty-sixth and last time this year, I ask that further questions be placed upon the Notice Paper.