Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I will get to that. So what we have is a God-almighty mess. It is in the Liberal Party's DNA. They have been at this for a long time—attacking universal health care, attacking Medibank and attacking Medicare. That is what they do. That is why we have had Prime Minister Abbott on 53 separate occasions saying things such as, 'It is right and proper to have a modest Medicare co-payment.' That was said in question time. He has said these things 53 times, I am informed. He asked 3AW, 'Why isn't it fair enough to have a modest co-payment for Medicare?' This is what the Prime Minister says, and this is why the Liberal Party cannot be believed.

The members opposite ask what this has to do with Baron. Well, just like it is in Baron's DNA to go back to his vomit, the Liberal Party are going to come back to this co-payment. They are going to return to it over and over again. You may believe them at the next election when they promise to keep Medicare, but I can bet you this: if they are in government, then in 2016 or 2017 the co-payment will be back and the attacks on Medicare will be back. They have been at this for 30 years. They will do it again. (Time expired)

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