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

It is a great pleasure to follow the contribution of the member for Wannon. I would like to encourage every person listening to this debate to visit the ABC Fact Check site and have a look at how those facts that the member for Wannon was talking about stand up. If there were a website that looked at fairytales, I think you would find that his contribution would feature very strongly.

The member for Wannon talks about the massive increases in health spending. What I would say to the member for Wannon is: why do the budget papers show there are savings in health? How can there be increased spending yet there are savings? Surely savings equate to cuts. Prior to the last election the Prime Minister said 'no cuts to health'. But what we have seen is cut, cut, cut. The one thing that all Australians know is that you cannot trust the Prime Minister, you cannot trust this government—for that matter, you cannot trust any coalition government when it comes to health, particularly when it comes to ensuring the future of Medicare.

I have been in this place for a little while. I remember when the Prime Minister was the Minister for Health. He used to stand up in this place and he would have a smile on his face. No, it was not a smile; he had a smirk on his face. I think you would have to say that. He would stand up there, look across the House and say, 'I am the best friend that Medicare ever had,' as he continue to attack it, attack it and attack it. He has never supported Medicare and those on the other side of this parliament have never supported Medicare.

They do not believe in it. They do not believe in universal health care. That is what Medicare is: a universal healthcare system, one that is available for all Australians. It is not a safety net. It is not there for only those people who cannot afford to purchase health. Those on the other side of this House want people to pay for their health care with their bank card, not their Medicare card. We do not believe in that. We believe it is the right of every Australian to have decent health care. It should not be dependent on whether or not you can afford it.

Despite the rolled gold guarantees that the Prime Minister gave when he was Minister for Health, we see that Medicare is yet again under attack. I might say that it is only the Prime Minister and this government that can get pensioners out onto the streets to protest about its action and its cuts to Medicare. Pensioners and families all revolted against this government. We have had the $125 million cut to the Child Dental Benefits Schedule. Dental care for children is important. It ensures good dental health for life. It is not just something that is $1,000 for a child that comes for a family who cannot afford dental health; it is about saving money into the future. I heard the member for Bowman talking about the cuts to the child health assessments. The reason that there is a health assessment for four-year-olds is that that is one of those milestones in a child's life. It is a time where the health of that child, as to whether they are developing properly, needs to be assessed.

This government is attacking Medicare. Liberals always attack bulk-billing. Liberals always cut health spending. Liberals promise they will not and coalition members promised that they will not; but the one thing that all Australians know is that no matter what the coalition says and no matter what they write, you should look at the bottom line and look at what they do, not what they say.

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