Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Hansard source

I'll try to deal with a series of questions raised by members on all sides of the House. In relation to the member for Murray, I'm delighted that we have been able to provide once-in-a-generation support for rural and regional health within Australia. The package, which was $550 million of investment, is significant. It is built around a simple premise: delivering 3,000 extra doctors and 3,000 extra nurses to rural and regional Australia. It does that through additional support for teaching, through the Murray-Darling Basin medical school network—something I was privileged to be involved in, by working with each of the universities that are part of it in conjunction with other members of this parliament. It works, for the first time, in providing the equivalent of a rural provider number for junior doctors who seek to advance their careers in rural and regional Australia, by allowing them access to Medicare. I know that is something you yourself, Mr Deputy Speaker, raised with me as a proposition. It also ensures that there is additional support for doctors, nurses and allied health professionals through different workforce programs.

In relation to the issue raised by the shadow minister, there is a simple proposition: funding for Medicare is a record each year, every year. To lay out the budget figures: $25 billion, $26 billion, $27 billion and $29 billion. Those are the budget figures, each year a record. What we see is a series of important things here. In particular, we see a false claim that there had been no indexation. Indeed, the bulk-billing incentive has already been indexed and, I believe, in 12 days the next round in relation to general practice items and specialist consultations will commence. In addition to that—again, I point out the false claim—there is $4.8 billion of additional expenditure in the budget set out in relation to Medicare. No doubt, question or otherwise: every dollar is reinvested. Every dollar is part of that $4.8 billion of growth to record levels each year, every year, in relation to Medicare.

In the relation to the PBS, what this budget does is reverse the $1.9 billion of cuts to the PBS which were recorded under Labor in the 2010 budget with $2.4 billion of additional investment. There is $1.4 billion in listed new medicines, including for non-small-cell lung cancer. A new drug for non-small-cell lung cancer is something the Labor Party now opposes—in only the last case, where the department followed all the procedures, and it was only negotiated with the department. In addition to that, we also see $1 billion of contingency or headroom to deal with the very problem which Labor couldn't address but which the shadow minister acknowledged was the reason they deliberately failed to take action and announced that they would not be taking steps in their time on their watch. That's the difference.

In relation to hospitals, very clearly, each year and every year there is record funding: $21 billion, $22 billion, $23 billion and $24 billion. More than that, I am surprised that they raised the case of Caboolture, because the Caboolture Hospital is part of the Brisbane metro area. In the last full financial year the Commonwealth investment in that area went up $120 million. The Queensland Labor government went down $21 million. It's a little embarrassing, I would say, and I would quietly counsel them that it may not be the best example they could be using.

In addition to that, we see that Labor itself has walked away from its own funding formula. Can it guarantee that the so-called additional money will be allocated on an activity basis to every hospital in the country? Already we are seeing random allocations, which means that some areas will be robbed to pay for random projects that are being picked based on what is perceived to be an electoral need.

In relation to the Local Sporting Champions program, I can say with great confidence to the member for Tangney that there will be an $11.8 million increase, with 9,000 new grants, and the program will particularly focus on the needs of those travelling long distances and from rural and remote areas. All up, I think that's an outstanding set of outcomes.

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