Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

The only problem was that the budget measures that they said supported it they had already spent. They had already spent the recycled savings on private health insurance. They had already spent the savings on retirement incomes they had announced. And you cannot spend money twice. That is how the $55.7 billion funding black hole came into being. It was not fully funded by those who sit opposite. They even claimed savings that they never even introduced and passed in the parliament, and abandoned when they were in opposition.

So, the NDIS is not fully funded and was not fully funded until we handed down the budget during the last sitting week, where we ensured that we would fully fund that by a ½ per cent increase in the Medicare levy two years from now, when those extra bills come in. There was a joint press conference with the member for Lilley, the member for Jagajaga and the then Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, who said:

…we all contribute and we all share. That is what Medicare is about. That's what the Medicare levy is about.

She said:

… it's not an easy choice. I know I'm asking Australians in their millions to step up to paying an increase in the Medicare levy.

Now, we supported that call in the parliament. And I want to know what happened to the man who said this:

The increase in the Medicare levy will help fund DisabilityCare Australia, which I believe is the most profound piece of social justice and civil rights policy since Medicare.

That was said by the Leader of the Opposition. Where is that man now?

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