Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Someone on the other side says, 'Rubbish!' That shows just how disconnected they are from their electorate. Rather than coming to this House arguing for the people they represent in this parliament, they are happy to hit them with a GP tax—and a GP tax that, as it has been shown this week, is based on fallacious facts. Figures released this week have shown that health costs are at a 30-year low. That is why AMA President Brian Owler was forced to say:

That makes a mockery of the fact that the Government has been claiming health care expenditure is out of control.

a mockery. And those on the other side of this parliament are prepared to perpetuate that myth. Again, in Brian Owler's words:

The Government has used this as a narrative in the terms of the lead-up to its Federal Budget, saying health care expenditure is out of control. It has used it to justify the introduction of the GP co-payment. There is no justification for a GP co-payment.

no justification for hitting Australians with this GP tax.

And what other broken promises are there? No new tax: well, we have had the petrol tax. And pensions: 'No changes to pensions.' Well, we have already seen legislation passed through this House that will dramatically decrease the pensions people will receive into the future. Those on the other side of this parliament stand up, speak in favour of that legislation and vote for it and then go back to their electorates and face the people they represent. To be quite honest, I do not know how they can, because these are changes that are going to dramatically affect the cost of living of people they represent. Broken promises: one thing before the election and another thing after the election.

Also, there are health and education cuts. This government really does stand condemned for its ineptitude, its broken promises that hit those people who can least bear the brunt of the government's cruel, harsh cuts and broken promises—the sick, the poor, the elderly. This government has justified its broken promises on health by saying it wants to make the health system sustainable in the long term. Well, I have already demonstrated that that is a fallacious point of view. And members of the government, particularly the Prime Minister, have stood up and said that they are the best friend Medicare has ever had. This government is a government of broken promises. This government is a government of lies, and the members of the backbench of this government need to go back to their electorate and explain to the electorate why they support the government's broken promises and lies. (Time expired)

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