Michael Ferguson (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Would the Prime Minister outline to the House what the government is doing to support and improve veterans’ health care?

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am pleased to confirm to the House that, at the RSL National Congress in Western Australia, the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs will be announcing an injection of an additional $600 million into veterans’ health care services. The purpose of this injection of funds is to ensure that the full value of the gold card and the white card is maintained for the more than 300,000 Australian veterans and widows who currently enjoy the benefits of these particular cards.

I remind the House that the gold card was introduced by the coalition government. It remains one of the major contributions made by any government over the last 20 years to the cause of veterans’ health care. Bearing in mind that, of those entitled to the gold card, 70 per cent are over the age of 75 years and, as a result, they have regular resort to not only general practitioners but also medical specialists, pathologists, allied health officials and many others in the medical field, it is essential that the full value of the gold card is maintained.

In recent months evidence has emerged that some doctors were not giving full credit to the gold card. Some were indicating an unwillingness to treat veterans under the gold card system. The government conducted a very detailed examination and formed the view that some enhancements of the amounts paid to specialists, pathologists, optometrists and other health professionals, and some increases in their fees, were needed and justified. We have conducted discussions with the Australian Medical Association, and the Australian Medical Association has responded enthusiastically to what the government has put forward and indicated that it believes it will not only reinforce the commitment of those doctors who continue to give full faith and credit to the gold card—and I thank them for doing so—but also bring back into the gold card system a large number of doctors who were either not treating under the gold card system or thinking of taking that course of action.

We have discussed the matter with the leadership of the RSL. The RSL has expressed its very warm and positive response to these changes that have been made. Looking after those who put their lives on the line for this country is a basic responsibility of any government. What we have done by this announcement will add to the $4.6 billion annually which is committed to the support and care of Australian veterans. The gold card was a great decision and a great innovation. It recognised in a very emphatic way the debt we owe to these men and women. By the announcement being made by the minister in Perth today, we are reinforcing the enduring commitment of the coalition to the value of the gold card to those more than 300,000 Australians who richly deserve its benefits and its entitlements.