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

In 2003-04, minus $108 million; 2004-05, minus $172 million; 2005-06, minus $264 million; 2006-07, minus $372 million. I simply go through those figures to draw them to the attention of the Leader of the Opposition. I also draw to the Leader of the Opposition’s attention that when he was minister for health, while he may be uncomfortable about his record, he also imposed a cap on GP training places. I can understand full well why the Leader of the Opposition is sensitive about his record as health minister—a sensitivity which is only underpinned and surpassed by his undertaking to the Australian people, that absolute ironclad guarantee, that there would be no change to the Medicare safety net—a rock solid, ironclad guarantee, until after the election. That is what the Leader of the Opposition did when he was health minister. What we have done in the two years we have been in office through the agency of the minister for health is increase the number of GP training places by some 35 per cent. That is what we have done. From 2009 universities offered an additional 1,094 undergraduate nursing places. That is what we have done. On top of that, in terms of funding to our public hospitals, we have increased our allocation to hospitals in the states and territories by some 50 per cent. If you want three concrete pieces of action, those are they.

Those opposite, not content with their record on health and hospitals reform, which is a dismal record, right now in another place, in the Senate, are seeking to block important pieces of legislation and stand in the way of further reform to the health and hospital system. They are blocking changes to PHI—a blocking which will result in taxpayers paying $2 billion, money which could be better invested in public hospital beds across Australia. On top of that, they in the Senate have refused to pass landmark legislation giving more support and recognition to our midwives and nurse practitioners. This is unacceptable. Those opposite find this to be a passing irritant; they do not think that nurse practitioners and midwives are important. We on this side of the House do. Dental services have been blocked by those in the Senate; they have refused to pass legislation for Australia’s first ever preventative healthcare agency.

I say to the Leader of the Opposition that it is time on health and hospitals reform that he just got out of the road, that he actually allowed the government to get on with the business of fundamental health and hospital reform for the future. We intend to get on with the business of bringing about this reform for Australia. I will be consulting with the premiers and chief ministers in the days ahead, prior to COAG in April. We have a plan for the future. I will begin that process with the Premier of New South Wales in Sydney tomorrow. I will travel to every state capital in the country and every territory capital to bring about the needed reforms for our health and hospital system for the future.

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