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

I want to thank the member for Murray for his question. Only this morning he voted, along with every member on this side of the House, for tax cuts from 1 July for 53,700 members of his electorate. You can only do that, you can only provide that tax relief, if there's a strong economy.

That's the same thing which also allows a government to guarantee essential services, such as record funding for Medicare, record funding for hospitals and record funding for medical research. Today is, of course, global motor neurone day. Importantly, very recently I was able to join the great Neale Daniher, a close personal friend of the member for Murray, at the MCG for Big Freeze 4, as part of the fight to end MND. On that day we were able to contribute $2 million of matching funding to the work of the public to support them.

One of the trials which that funding has supported is the Tecfidera trial. Elizabeth from Seven Hills—I believe that is in the member for Greenway's electorate—is on that trial. What she has said about that research is: 'Being part of this trial gives me hope. It is important for me, because it gives me the chance to go on.'

That is along with what we've been able to do for spinal muscular atrophy with Mackenzie's Mission and with the listing of SPINRAZA for spinal muscular atrophy. That's the reason why every one of us is in this place. If you have a stronger economy you can deliver results, such as new trials, new research and new medicines, and that will make a difference to people's lives. Our guarantee is that every medicine which is supported by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, we will list. But you can only do that, of course, if there is a strong economy.

I was asked if there are any alternatives. I went to the 2011 budget papers, because in 2011 Labor deferred seven fundamental drugs.

Mr Sukkar interjecting—

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