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

I thank the member for Hasluck for his acknowledgement that the coalition is a risk to health reform, but I say to him: do not pick up the Leader of the Opposition’s burden. I think it is the Leader of the Opposition who is the risk to health reform. The excuse he is trying to use is that he did not understand the GST arrangements. Well, here is the bill that actually specifies those GST arrangements—that has made sure that people have understood it. It has been in the parliament a couple of times, and the Leader of the Opposition has never bothered to read it or come to grips with it. I am holding in my hand another federal government publication that makes clear the GST arrangements and also makes clear the benefits of health reform. Australians around the nation would be asking themselves why the Leader of the Opposition does not want them to have more doctors, more hospital beds and more aged care beds. The truth is that it is because he has never seen a cutback to health or a reduction in health services that he did not want to support. He has a track record as a minister for health, and he is trying to continue that track record as the Leader of the Opposition. Do not wreck health reform. This health reform is important for the nation.

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