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

I thank the member for Dickson for his question because it allows us to take the opportunity to remind the House about the very significant investments that have already been made in health in the last 14 months, in contrast to the approach taken by the previous government, which used to rip money out of the public hospital system. So let me just recap in case any members have forgotten over the Christmas break about the $64 billion of health investment—a 50 per cent increase on the previous government in this healthcare agreement.

I do not hear anybody saying that a 50 per cent increase on the previous government’s healthcare agreement is an underinvestment in health. I did not hear any criticism about $1.1 billion going into the workforce. I did not hear any criticism when we put $750 million on the table for emergency departments across the country—something those opposite never did. I did not hear any objection from constituents in the electorates of those opposite and in the electorates of our members when we committed to putting $600 million into elective surgery. I can report to the House that 35,000 procedures—

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