Kerry Bartlett (Macquarie, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

There might have been rises but look at the facts. The rises for the last 10 years under this government have averaged 5.5 per cent per annum. What did they average in the previous 10 years? For the 10 years under the Labor government, the rises in private health insurance premiums averaged 11 per cent per annum. That is double what they have been under this government. If you want to look at the facts on who has done the best job in keeping premiums down, you will see that it has been the coalition government. There is no reason for the government to own one of 39 private health insurance companies. The fact is that ultimately the final say for premium rises, the final approval, has to come from the government on the report of the Private Health Insurance Administration Council, so it is a nonsense for the other side to say that this privatisation will force premiums up.

The fact is that there is no reason for the government to have money tied up in a private health insurance company, one of 39, when that money could better be spent on medical research and on providing for our ageing population. The fact is that, in their more candid moments, Labor know this. It is just sad that, yet again, populism forces them into the role of opposition for opposition’s sake.

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