Nicola Roxon (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

In addition to the $150 million already being delivered to undertake 25,000 procedures across the country, in the space of three months I have met four times with my state colleagues to bat out and negotiate health reform. Interestingly, that is already double the number of times that the previous minister met in a whole year with the state health ministers. I am sure that the former Minister for Health and Ageing is well aware that in three months I have already doubled the work that he did in a whole year.

Importantly, there are a number of other very important initiatives that have been undertaken. I think members, despite their interjections, will share with me my pleasure in Labor having already instigated our home nurse visiting program for Indigenous mothers. This is something that we supported and that the previous government was committed to. It is being extended massively by this government with a $260 million commitment to investing in early childhood health and development for Indigenous children. It is really important and we have hit the ground running with it. On top of that, we have already implemented initiatives to attract more nurses into our hospitals. All of these are things that the previous government neglected. We are proud that we are up and running on these initiatives. All of us will benefit from an improved health system that will be developed under a Rudd Labor government so that we ensure we have the modern health system that is needed for a modern Australia.

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