Nicola Roxon (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, are you aware of an AMA press release saying the following:

The rationalisation of hospital services in the north west coast is the only way that Tasmanians in that area will be likely in the future to see modern, properly resourced hospital services in their area to match those in the rest of the state. 

Unfortunately, maintaining a number of small hospitals is not only expensive but it precludes residents of the region from getting access to modern medical technologies and attracting a broader range of specialist services in particular.

Prime Minister, was Brendan Nelson right?

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

Order! The honourable member should refer to ministers by their by title.

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

On this occasion, no, he was not. But he has considerably improved with the opportunity and experience of being a member of my government. I take this opportunity to address the substance of the issue. I am interested to learn that the opposition is opposed to the government’s plan to keep the hospital open.

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

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. The defence minister was once with the Labor Party, now he is with the—

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

The member will resume his seat. There is no point of order.

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

It is the second killer blow of this question time! That is a real revelation! It suggests that you were in the Labor Party, Brendan. I have never heard that before!

Could we go back to the Mersey hospital? I think what the people of Devonport and the people of Northern Tasmania would like to know is: where does the Leader of the Opposition stand on this issue? Does he want to keep this hospital open, or does he effectively want to downgrade it to a subclass facility? He was asked this by Fran Kelly on three occasions yesterday morning and he said, ‘Oh, I’m waiting on all the details.’ But all the details are there.

There comes a time when you can no longer sit on the fence and you can no longer keep all of your options open. We are for the people of Devonport. We are for keeping this hospital open as a full public hospital facility. We believe in looking after the interests of 70,000 Northern Tasmanians—and they would like the Leader of the Opposition to get off the fence and say where he stands.