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

Our investments, billions of dollars of investments, in health reform are delivering to patients across the country just as we speak. There are now 900 GPs in training this year, when the Leader of the Opposition put a cap in place such that only 600 GPs could train each year. There are more than 1,300 new beds being opened up across the country, including 300 in New South Wales that have already been delivered, 400 that are starting to be opened in Victoria, 150 extra mental health beds and equivalents that are opening up in South Australia and mental health investments in Queensland. And I have not had a single question from the health spokesperson opposite about any one of these investments. Why is that? Why have there been no questions? Because the Leader of the Opposition, as the health minister, did not fix these problems. It has been our government, with a deal that was reached by the Prime Minister in April this year that has enabled us to deliver these reforms. Look at some other investments: the specialists that are being funded to be trained, particularly in rural and regional Australia, where I know that our crossbench members are particularly interested—518 specialists, more than half of whom are now working in rural and regional areas. That is a ninefold increase from when the Leader of the Opposition was the health minister. I have not had a single question about these investments. Why? Because these investments matter to patients, these investments matter to consumers, and the Liberal Party are more interested in their petty politics than they are interested in delivering to patients across the country.

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