Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

Labor used to believe in things. They used to have principles. Once upon a time they understood that you have to believe in things and have principles and undertake the actions in government that make sure that a safety net is sustainable. For example, if you believe the rhetoric and fearmongering from the Labor Party, you would think that a $7 co-payment by pensioners was the end of the road for 10 visits to the doctor a year. But under Labor, pensioners when they get a script from the doctor had to pay $6 for the first 60 scripts each year. So under Labor's modern integrity and under the principles that they believe to be true today, they say, no, pensioners should not pay for 10 visits to the doctor each year but they should pay for the first 60 scripts that the doctor issues. That is the hypocrisy from Labor. Not only were they the inventors of the co-payment, not only did they come up with it, and they invented the PBS co-payment—not only that—it is Labor that wanted to claim that Medicare was all their idea. Yet everything they are doing is undermining Medicare. The coalition is the best friend Medicare has—

Opposition members interjecting—

because we want Medicare to be sustainable and the Labor Party does not.

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