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

My question is to Senator McKenzie, the Minister representing the Minister for Health. I refer to reports today that leaked COAG documents reveal that the Turnbull government intends to lock in public hospital cuts for seven years. Can the minister confirm the Turnbull government is planning to lock in its current, insufficient funding for hospitals?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Polley, for your question. However, I'm going to have to completely reject the assumptions on which your question is based—the assumption that there are cuts to the Commonwealth government's investment, our ongoing increasing, record level of Commonwealth funding to every single state and every single territory, year on year. In fact, when I look at the figures, as far as the eye can see there's increasing funding. That's going to mean more doctors, more nurses, more services and more surgeries in public hospitals right across this nation. And that's a good story, because our world-class health system in this nation is underpinned by the partnership that exists between our Commonwealth health system and indeed our state governments.

But when we look at Labor and your phantom funding—I mean, really. Let's go to shadow minister King's tragedy of a press conference this morning. Whoever the reporter is, whoever it is out there, please make yourself known; some fantastic questions were asked, questions that the shadow minister did not have the answers to, questions about: how was Labor going to fund its phantom funding? But, again—like the Gonski promise, like the NDIS promise—nada, nothing.

I'm very happy to go to the Labor Party's most important policy document, and it's shadow minister King's 'National platform on health', 18 pages of some really interesting things around the health portfolio. Promoting wellness, preventing disease, some great initiatives—no dollars. When we go to public funding for hospitals—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator McKenzie, please resume your seat. Senator Collins.

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on a point of order: the minister has been asked a question about the Turnbull government's health policies. She is straying very far from that and, indeed, she has not addressed the issue at all in relation to the leaked COAG documents. It's all well and good to hear her reflect her opinion on shadow minister King, but she is not answering the question.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. Senator Cormann on the point of order.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the point of order: the question that was asked was in relation to alleged funding cuts. The minister directly answered that question in referring to funding increases. Indeed, of course, funding increased by 73 per cent compared to Labor's last-year budget for 2020-21. The minister was being directly relevant to the question.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister was being relevant to the question as asked at the beginning of the question. In the three seconds remaining, Senator McKenzie, I'd remind you of the nature of the question.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the finance minister— (Time expired)

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

I have a supplementary. The extension of the Turnbull government's public hospital cuts comes in addition to its proposed cuts to the distribution of GST revenue of $557 million to South Australia and $168 million to Tasmania. Isn't it clear that the only way South Australians and Tasmanians can ensure a quality healthcare system is to elect governments who are willing to stand up to the Turnbull government?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Polley, for your little campaign message for the South Australian and Tasmanian elections. But, in terms of the proposed new agreement, as said in my earlier answer, what we are taking to COAG on Friday is a promise and a commitment to work with state and territory governments to provide more services, more doctors, more nurses and more surgeries.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know you don't want to hear it. I know you don't want to hear about our multibillion-dollar investment that we want to make with state governments, but they are the facts. Every year, we commit to a record funding amount in each and every state and each and every territory. And you know what? It shouldn't come as a surprise. If you look at the communiques from the previous health minister's COAG meetings all through last year, this meeting was going to be all about sustainable funding models between the Commonwealth and state governments to provide funding for our world-class health system.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Polley, a final supplementary question.

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

Does the minister agree with the AMA, which has called on the government to 'lift public hospitals out of their current funding crisis, which is putting doctors and patients at risk'?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm sure the government—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I'll call the minister when there's some semblance of order in the chamber. Senator Collins. Senator Abetz. Senator McKenzie.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. Senator Polley, thank you again for your supplementary question. Through you, Mr President: the governments of South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland as they head in to Friday's discussion need to think about the flatlining of their funding to their own public hospitals.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Polley on a point of order?

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

Mr President, I know you've given the new minister some leeway, but she is not relevant to what I asked about the AMA. It's a pretty simple question to answer. Can she try and be relevant—I know maybe not honest.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Polley. That's not appropriate for a point of order. Senator McKenzie, I remind you of the question.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is one thing I do agree with the AMA on, and that's that the Labor Party's private health insurance—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Wong on a point of order?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We've given this minister a number of opportunities. The point of order is direct relevance. She's been asked whether she agrees with the call of the AMA for the government to lift public hospitals out of the current funding crisis, which is putting patients at risk. How is talking about opposition policy on private health insurance possibly relevant to that question?

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Between that and the previous point of order, all I heard from Senator McKenzie was 'agree with the AMA'. I remind her of the question asked by Senator Polley. There was a bit of noise in the chamber; I didn't hear what came after that phrase. I remind Senator McKenzie of the question with 26 seconds left to answer.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr President. The AMA, pointing—

Senator O'Neill interjecting—

Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She hasn't started! Why don't you stop interjecting and listen to the answer. You might learn something.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Scullion, that wasn't helpful.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order on my left and my right!

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am looking forward to, coming out of COAG, a sustainable funding arrangement for public hospital funding in this country, where Commonwealth government, as we have committed to do, puts year-on-year record funding and to the public health system and state governments— (Time expired)