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

I thank the member for Longman for his question. I am sure that everybody on this side of the House will be very interested to hear of the investments that the Rudd Labor government is making in shaping a health system for the future. It is interesting that the members opposite do not want to hear about investments that are being made across the health sector—across the public and private sectors—because when they were in government they neglected the public health sector. The previous government did not accept that in a modern Australia the modern health system that we need needs a strong public and a strong private health system. That is what our budget has delivered, and after 11 years of neglect by the previous government we have started the important work of rebuilding the health system.

We are investing $3.2 billion in a range of health programs which I will take you through, but that $3.2 billion will bring health expenditure next year, for the first time ever, to over the $50 billion in one year threshold. It is something that we are very proud of. When we add the $10 billion Health and Hospitals Fund announced last night by the Treasurer—the single biggest investment in health infrastructure ever made by a Commonwealth government in the history of the country—we are very proud that we are spending and investing in our future and in the health needs of the country. This fund is going to support the future health infrastructure priorities which will include health and hospitals facilities and equipment, medical technology and equipment, and major medical research facilities and equipment, including projects and facilities which will support links between hospital based clinical research and high-quality clinical practice. In short, this is a major step towards building a modern health system for the future.

What I think is also important to announce today—and I am sure that, even if the members opposite are not interested, the members on this side will be—is that, despite the very difficult circumstances in which the Treasurer framed this budget, I am very proud to announce that for the first time ever a Commonwealth government, the Rudd Labor government, will be providing funding for insulin pumps for type 1 diabetes in children. For the first time ever, up to $2,500—

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