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

Let us actually go through the facts. We have been in government for nearly three years. We have made a commitment to $70 million of cancer services in Townsville. That comes on top of a $250 million commitment in Townsville to expand the hospital. There is $70 million for regional cancer services in Townsville and Mount Isa, including a PET scanner due to be delivered in 2012. This will be the first time ever that north of Brisbane there is a PET scanner. There was not one when the Leader of the Opposition was the health minister. There was not even a promise when the Leader of the Opposition was the health minister. Now that we have provided the money and provided the timetable, we see an advertisement which includes the absolute lie that it should suddenly be believed that this man opposite, who did not provide a PET scanner when he was the health minister, is now going to deliver one without money, without funding, without the time and not at the public hospital. This advertisement is an absolute lie, and the Leader of the Opposition should be ashamed of himself.

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