Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Would the minister advise the House how the government’s private health insurance rebate is taking the pressure off public hospitals? Could the minister further advise as to whether there are any alternative policies?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Casey for his question. I can inform him and the House that, thanks to the private health insurance rebate, nearly nine million Australians have affordable access to the private hospital system. That means they are far less likely to be competing for a place in very crowded public hospital queues. Fifty-six per cent of all surgery is now done in private hospitals. That is over one million procedures which would otherwise have to be done in the public system but for the government’s support for private health insurance.

I am afraid few members opposite appreciate the importance of the private health insurance rebate—but not the member for Hotham. The member for Hotham said when he was the leader of the Labor Party:

... I am absolutely committed to keeping the private health rebate.

It is payback time now. Today’s Australian quotes one preselector as saying:

Simon Crean’s interpreter rang last night and said please, please. And then Hong Lim rang nearly at midnight ...

... Hong Lim, he says that Labor has lost four times to the Liberal Party and it’s why we need a new person—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order: standing order 104.

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

I thank the member for Grayndler for coming straight to the point. I am listening to the minister’s answer. I call the minister.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

‘He says’—

Roger Price (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order under standing order 104. What has Hong Lim got to do with alternative policies to the one the government has? We went through this yesterday.

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

The Chief Opposition Whip will resume his seat. I have ruled on the same point of order that was raised by the member for Grayndler and I have said I am listening closely to the minister’s answer. I call the minister.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The preselector continues:

… Hong Lim, he says that Labor has lost four times to the Liberal Party and it’s why we need a new person to come up to win the election.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

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

Order! The minister has just begun his answer. Would the member for Grayndler resume his seat. I will listen carefully to the minister’s answer.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Standing order 104 actually says:

An answer must be relevant to the question.

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

The member will resume his seat. I have just ruled on that point of order and I am listening closely to the minister’s answer. I call the minister.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So Mr Lim is supporting the member for Brand who is a two-time loser and attacking the member for Hotham who never had a chance to lose an election.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

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

Is the member for Grayndler raising another point of order?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is the same one.

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

The member for Grayndler will resume his seat. I have ruled on that point of order and I am listening. If he allows the minister to answer, we will see if he is relevant under standing order 104. If the member for Grayndler wants to argue, I will deal with him.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can only assume that in all of this something has been lost in the translation. To assist Labor Party doorknockers I table a Khmer language description of the government’s policies.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Albanese interjecting

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

Order! The member for Grayndler is warned.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just because the member for Grayndler thinks that the private health insurance rebate has been a resounding failure, that is no reason for the member for Grayndler to want to get the member for Hotham. I found a very interesting book the other day called The Latham Diaries and I quote from it:

Ringing around Caucus—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, for the fourth time there is a reason—

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

The member for Grayndler will resume his seat.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Are you going to rule on the point of order?

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

If the member for Grayndler wishes to raise a point of order, he is in order, but he does not reflect on the chair.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Far be it from me to do that but standing order 104 is very clear that an answer must be relevant to the question.

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

The member for Grayndler will resume his seat.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on the point of order: I refer you to page 188 of the Practice where it says that members have been disciplined by the chair for persisting with matters after the chair has ruled. I ask you to deal with them.

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

The member for Mackellar will resume her seat. I am well aware of that part of the Practice. The minister has been referring to the question, he is in order, and I call the minister.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To quote from The Latham Diaries:

Ringing around Caucus ... is a unique experience. Here are the shockers I came across.

…     …         …

Anthony Albanese—When I rang him, he said—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Order! The minister will resume his seat.

Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You have an opportunity here, Mr Speaker, to actually enforce a standing order. That remark has nothing to do with the question—

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

I have not called the Leader of the Opposition. I call the next question.