Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health) Share this | Hansard source

I am very pleased to speak on this matter of public importance about the Prime Minister's chaotic and unfair budget. It is hurting Australians and no more so than when it comes to the portfolio area of health. It is extraordinary that on the last day of sitting before we break, when the budget has been at the top of people's minds for the last few months, that we do not have a senior minister at the desk able to defend the budget. We saw that on show yesterday as well, when the first of the health budget bills came into this parliament and was debated through second reading. There were only six speakers on the other side, and none of them was a senior member of the Liberal Party. No senior member would speak on the government's decision in the budget to increase the cots of pharmaceuticals for every Australian, including pensioners, those on disability support pensions, people with chronic conditions who require multiple medications. There were six speakers from the other side—none of them were senior and none of them from marginal seats. Those from marginal seats went out and campaigned at the last election as to how they would do better for their constituents and how they would stand up, but not one of them would speak to defend that measure. I suspect that not one of them will speak on the GP tax, either.

Not one of them has spoken out about the impact of their $50 billion of cuts on public hospitals. Those cuts started this month, and they are impacting on emergency departments, elective surgery, bed numbers across the country. People in Mount Gambier were recently told their hospital had lost staff because of the government cuts. We know that none of those opposite are prepared to defend this budget, but we are prepared to talk every single day about what this budget means to people. The absolute arrogance of this government and the Minister for Health not even able to be in here for consideration of the bill in detail. He was not here to answer questions or to defend the budget measures that he has put before this parliament. It is not usual for a health minister to be a member of the ERC—the budget razor gang—but there he was offering up health cuts. 'Take this! Take this! Take this!' That is from the health minister, who is meant to care about the health system in the country and about the sick and vulnerable patients in this community. That is what we got from the health minister—he could not turn up to debate one of his own budget measures. I suspect it was an audition for one of the finance ministries.

We have heard the health minister interject over the chamber as we talked about the petition from 3000 people—and 2½ thousand of them are general practitioners in communities right across the country. They were not Labor voters; they had no particular political affiliation. This was something that Australian Doctor, not necessarily an organisation that writes well of the Labor Party, had done. They had collected real stories from around the community. If anyone in this place has not had a chance to read it, I encourage you to do so. Here is an example of some of the stories in that petition. There are many stories that were told in that petition. I will read one from Kingston in Tasmania:

There are many stories that could be told, but I'll tell this one. My patient was a mum in her 30s with two little kids. She was poorly educated, nervous, respectful. The three of them were living in a women's refuge for the usual reasons. They came in every few weeks: asthma, kids' colds, anxiety.

One day, as they were leaving, the mum said to the children: "We're going to the chemist now." And the kids beamed and said with obvious delight, "The chemist! Will we be able to get some water and one of those mints Mum?" The mum smiled and said yes, and gave me this look that I have always remembered.

See, at the chemist there is a free water dispenser and a little bowl of free mints. The look the mum gave me showed the delight that every mother feels in seeing her children happy. But she was also sad that these freebies meant so much to her kids, and embarrassed because now I knew too.

Seven dollars mightn't seem that much to people whose kids get to go out for milkshakes but if this mum had to pay $7, her kids wouldn't miss out on a trip to a cafe. They would simply miss out on going to the doctor, on their vaccinations …

These are real stories of people being told by their GPs across the country. This government is the most uncompassionate government I have ever seen. Those opposite should be ashamed of themselves. (Time expired)

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