Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is again to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Doesn’t the Medibank Private brief for ‘Project good guys’ require PR firms to come up with strategies to manage scenarios which include, ‘A class action on behalf of members claiming the fund is owned by its members has been started and a member group actively campaigning against the sale is knocking on every door it can and is collecting signatures at major retail centres’? What advice has the government received about the potential for a class action by Medibank Private members who feel ripped off by the sale of Medibank Private and what will defending the class action cost?

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

I can only assume that the Leader of the Opposition’s question time tactics totally collapsed today after the first failed question and therefore he is finally giving the member for Lalor her run in the park after nine months.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance. If he does not know anything about this matter, he should simply say so.

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

The member will resume her seat. The minister has only just begun to answer the question.

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

I can only assume that the Leader of the Opposition will not normally let her ask questions and Senate estimates will not ask those questions for her up there today. These issues are appropriately handled by departmental officials and she can ask all the questions she wants in Senate estimates. Let me make the simple point that privatisation was good for the Commonwealth Bank, good for Qantas and it will be good for Medibank Private.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Gillard interjecting

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

Order! The member for Lalor is warned.

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

The best guarantee of good service is competition, not government ownership.

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

Mr Speaker, on a point of order which goes to relevance: this bloke cannot answer a question on his own portfolio. He is just talking to the opposition’s spokesperson because he cannot answer—

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The minister was asked a question and he is answering it.

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

On the fundamental point that she is trying to raise about premiums, let me point out that the average premium rise between 1983 and 1996 of 11 per cent a year was double the premium rise under this government. Labor has no credibility whatsoever on this issue.