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

I thank the member for Braddon for his question. He has always taken a very active interest in the health needs of his community in Braddon. I know he is determined like the rest of us on this side of the House to make sure that our expenditure in health is sustainable into the future. That is why we have reintroduced our private health insurance incentive bills. They have just passed through the House today and have now been referred to the Senate.

We are determined to pursue these sensible reforms because we do not think it is appropriate that taxi drivers, secretaries, nurses and others should be funding the private health insurance of politicians, bankers and millionaires. This is not an appropriate position for us long term. What was shown in the Intergenerational report that the Treasurer released at the start of the week was that private health insurance is the fastest growing expenditure item of health in—

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