Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Hansard source

I have further questions. I refer to Budget Paper No. 2, page 227 under the heading ‘Illicit drug use—targeting young people who use methamphetamines’, which states that the government will tailor existing national education programs on illicit drugs from existing resources in the department. I think this question should probably go to the Minister for Sport, but how much is actually being spent on targeting young people who use methamphetamines?

To go back to what the Minister for Health and Ageing said a little bit earlier, in relation to the memorandum of understanding with pathologists, were they advised or consulted prior to the budget announcement of the unilateral changes? I also ask the minister if she will release the details of the methodology used by her and her department in the negotiations with the states, and will that methodology be the same methodology that was applied in negotiations with the states on the new state-Commonwealth hospital agreement?

Further, I ask the minister: how many extra nurses do you believe will come into the system as a result of the $6,000 initiative? And by how much do you believe premiums will increase next year as a direct result of the changes to the Medicare levy surcharge? I know the member for Hunter would have a particular interest in that. And why does the minister think that it would be a great idea for Medibank Private to buy Australian Health Management for $300 million? Did she approve that purchase by Medibank Private of Australian Health Management? When did they consult with the minister about that purchase? Furthermore, if it is the intention of the government not to privatise Medibank Private, will Medibank Private continue with the acquisition program that it currently has?

I further ask the minister about the Chris O’Brien centre for cancer research. Has any funding been allocated for the recurrent costs to help run that facility into the future? And I ask, very genuinely: has there been any consultation with the states about assisting with some of the recurrent costs associated with the centre for cancer research. I am sorry to bounce around a number of issues here. You do not need to answer all the questions now; you can do it at your leisure. But I think it would be useful to get some of these answers.

Can the minister advise the House of the total amount of money that will actually be spent on the national binge drinking strategy and over how many years? Given that this money is coming from existing resources of the Department of Health and Ageing, when the Prime Minister and the Minister for Health and Ageing announced that there would be significant sums raised as a result of the new tax on ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages, it came out in the budget papers that it will be in excess of $3 billion. How much of that $3 billion will go towards addressing binge drinking?

See this speech in context