Andrew Leigh (Fraser, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I note that the parliamentary secretary has referred to uncommitted funds from the Health and Hospitals Fund being added to the Medical Research Future Fund. I wonder if he might advise the House whether, in the event that the government's $7 GP tax fails to pass the parliament, as appears likely, the entirety of the Medical Research Future Fund will be uncommitted HHF funds. In other words, is the government only prepared to create a Medical Research Future Fund if it can do so by taxing the sick, and is it actually true that the government is unwilling to use a single dollar of general revenue to put into the Medical Research Future Fund? If that is the case—if, indeed, the government's only commitment to medical research depends on taxing the sick—many Australians, I think, will doubt the true commitment of this government to a medical research future fund.

I note that the parliamentary secretary failed to respond to my question as to whether the government is considering privatisations of Snowy Hydro, the Submarine Corporation, Moorebank Intermodal, Australian Rail Track Corporation, COMCAR or Australia Post. I am sure that my constituents—like me—look forward to an answer for that question.

Mr Buchholz interjecting—

The member for Wright has asked me a question. I have to say that if I had to choose two members of the government with whom to have a beer, the member for Wright and the member for Riverina would be high on my list. I have a great individual regard to each of them, albeit that I disagree with much of what they are defending in this budget. The member for Wright asks me whether I have had representations from members of my electorate concerned about the salary freeze. The simple answer is, member for Wright, we do not know enough from the government—

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