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

Yes, I do. I also believe deeply and strongly in the record of this government. Going straight to one of the differences between what this government does and what the opposition would do in government, and what they did last time, we will list every medicine that the PBAC recommends. Let me repeat that: we will list every medicine. Do you know why? It's because (a) we believe in it and (b) we run an economy which means that we can pay for essential services. That is what this government has done.

Let me remind the House of what Labor did when they were in government. I quote their own budget papers: … given the current fiscal environment, the listing of some medicines would be deferred until fiscal circumstances permit.

I've also done a little bit more reading. There was a Senate inquiry into Labor's policy when they were in government. What the Senate inquiry found is that this decision of the then Labor government 'constitutes a major unnecessary and unwelcome change in government policy' and that, 'This profound and ill-considered change in policy puts at risk affordable access to medicines—

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