Andrew Southcott (Boothby, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Primary Healthcare) Share this | Hansard source

Minister, could you just listen for a second, because we listened to you. I would like the House to hear from the minister how much the government has spent on developing the Medicare Local brand and the logos, only to look at a change for this. I would like to hear from the minister at what point she was aware that the use of the name 'Medicare Locals' was in breach of Commonwealth legislation. I think the former Prime Minister and the former minister of health had a sort of light bulb moment when a recommendation came out of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission to have primary healthcare organisations and some bright spark said, 'Why don't we call them Medicare Locals?'

The House really needs to hear from the minister at what point they were advised that there was a problem with the use of the name Medicare Locals—namely, that using the name Medicare Locals was illegal, was in breach of Commonwealth legislation—because this policy was announced in April 2010. The first Medicare Local was established on 1 July last year, so we need to hear from the minister: when did she or the previous minister become aware that there was a problem with using 'Medicare' in the name of Medicare Locals?

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