Andrew Southcott (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased to rise on the Private Health Insurance Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2014. This is a fairly minor change. It involves the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman being abolished and its functions being taken over by the Commonwealth Ombudsman. It is estimated that there will be savings of about $600,000 per year, which will be a reduction in the levy that is paid for by private health insurance funds, and it will have a small impact on reducing the cost of premiums.

This is an important issue in my electorate. More than three-quarters of voters in the electorate of Boothby hold private health insurance. Two-thirds of them hold hospital insurance and more than three-quarters hold general treatment insurance. My constituents have always been very concerned about issues related to private health insurance and have been dismayed by the continual attacks that were made by the Labor Party on private health insurance. Before the 2007 election, we saw Kevin Rudd say that there would be no changes to private health insurance, and then, in each subsequent budget, attacks were made on private health insurance and its holders.

I seek leave to continue my remarks at a later stage.

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