Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

But, as the question said, this is not new advice. It was provided by the same experts to the former government five long years ago, and they shelved it. They backed the lobby group instead of millions of hardworking Australian patients, making those patients shell out hundreds of millions of dollars that they shouldn't have had to pay.

And it seems they haven't learnt, because this week I read in the News Limited tabloids: 'Half-price medicines in jeopardy as Coalition refuses support'. They're blocking yet another sensible cost-of-living measure that will help six million Australian patients with their hip-pocket pressure and their health. This might not come as a surprise given the Leader of the Opposition's record as a health minister. Not only did he try to abolish bulk-billing—

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