Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Perhaps I could say the next sentence. When they make a positive recommendation—and this was true under the Howard government too, so settle back down—the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee deals with the medical issues and makes a recommendation. Then the question of price is worked through by a pricing authority. It happened every time under the Howard government as well—to those members who are so excited about the question. Then government makes decisions on the basis of that. The Leader of the Opposition well knows this. He would well recall that when he was minister for health there were some celebrated examples of long-term delay in funding medicines. I just want to point that out to members opposite, because I think that is something they should contemplate—that this has been an issue in the past. Obviously, for the three young people in the gallery, I am very happy to receive any material from them that they would like me to see—

Mr Dutton interjecting—

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