Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I start my contribution to this debate on the Health Legislation Amendment (Australian Community Pharmacy Authority and Private Health Insurance) Bill 2010 by saying that I believe that the Minister for Health and Ageing can and will deliver on health reform and the remaining GP superclinics. I have a lot more confidence in the minister than I would ever have in the shadow minister. He says one thing in parliament and one thing in his electorate. We cannot believe anything members of the opposition say.

History will judge the current Minister for Health and Ageing as one of the best, if not the best, health ministers Australia has ever had. Her impact in the area of health has been outstanding, and I know, from travelling around my electorate, that my constituents in Shortland really appreciate what she has done. If it were not for the minister for health, the people of Belmont would not have their Medicare office. It was her commitment to the people of Shortland electorate that delivered that Medicare office.

I find it quite amazing when I sit here in parliament and listen to the contributions of those on the other side of the House. It was particularly amazing to listen to the contribution of the then health minister, now Leader of the Opposition, when he ripped a billion dollars out of health. He gave these rolled gold, rock-solid, ironclad guarantees that he would deliver on health, but all he did was take money out of health and weaken our health service. He has made another commitment to the Australian people to take another billion dollars out of health if the opposition are elected at the election later this year. I urge people to be very sceptical of what the shadow minister for health and the Leader of the Opposition have to say, because we all know what a great risk they pose to Australia.

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