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

in reply—I note that the member for Dickson is in the House and has flagged some amendments to this bill. It is my intention that those amendments be discussed in the Senate. It might be helpful to the member for Dickson to hear these commitments: we are happy to undertake to discuss those amendments but, in order to not delay the proceedings of this House, our suggestion, given that a number of the other parties in the other place have also suggested some amendments, is that those discussions and negotiations occur in the other place. It would be my intention to seek the bill’s passage through the House today and for discussions to be able to commence.

I thank the other members, the member for Corio and the member for Solomon, for speaking on this bill. It is a bill that would provide authority for the cost recovery of services provided by the Commonwealth in relation to submissions for listing, or amendment to a listing, of medicines, vaccines and other products on the PBS or the NIP. As I have informed the House, this bill has been subject to considerable review already by the Senate community affairs committee, which has held two inquiries into the proposed cost recovery measure, with both inquiries recommending that the bill proceed in its current form.

As I have indicated, in this debate the member for Dickson has proposed some amendments to the bill which the government is prepared to undertake to consider, but in order to avoid further delays to the bill the government proposes that it be passed by the House in its current form and that the government consider its position on any amendments proposed by the opposition or other parties when the bill is debated in the Senate.

See this speech in context