Paul Neville (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Education, Science and Training. Would the minister advise the House of the government’s education initiatives to ease the shortage of doctors in Queensland? Are there any alternative views?

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Hinkler for his question and acknowledge his concern about this issue. Members of the House will recall that the Prime Minister announced we had a plan to lift the cap on full fee paying medical places from 10 per cent to 25 per cent.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Macklin interjecting

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the case of the University of Queensland this would mean 60 extra students could study medicine—

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Macklin interjecting

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and these are in addition to the HECS places.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition is warned!

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yesterday we learned that a struggle has broken out between the member for Jagajaga—who opposes this plan to increase the number of medical places for up to 400 students each year—and the member for Lalor, who thinks that she spoke out of turn and was out of line. That is a fight I would like to see televised. Today we learned that other members of the Labor frontbench also believe that the member for Jagajaga is way out of line. We have the member for Hunter, the member for Barton, the member for Batman—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Paul Neville (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The question is fair. We cannot hear the answer to the question at all.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Hinkler has raised a valid point of order. All members will respect that the minister should be heard and others should be able to hear the minister.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was pointing out that a number of those on the Labor frontbench believe that the member for Jagajaga is way out of touch. We have the member for Batman, the member for Wills, the member for Hunter and the member for Barton. The very wise and very experienced member for Hotham also supports this plan. How many other members of the Labor frontbench—you are smiling—or the backbench would rather support a plan that was embraced by all state Labor premiers: Mike Rann, Paul Lennon, Steve Bracks, Morris Iemma, Clare Martin and Jon Stanhope? They all support this plan. But, once again, federal Labor have taken the soft political option and they are bailing out the member for Jagajaga. Member for Brand, this is not about saving the member for Jagajaga; it is about building a sustainable health workforce. Yesterday, I tabled the instrument that would enable us to increase the number of medical places in Australian universities. The clock is still ticking.