Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

the waiting times for elective surgery by pooling our funding to make a difference on the ground. Those opposite found that sort of compromise arrangement with the states for the last two years unacceptable. They find those sorts of compromises and cooperative arrangements for the future unacceptable. We have done it for elective surgery and we are doing it with emergency departments, with practical measures on the ground. But I say very clearly to this House: if the states and territories do not accept this year the reform proposals for the future, the government will take this matter to the Australian people as we have previously committed to doing.

I also say to those opposite, on the question of consistency—

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