Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is again to the Prime Minister. I refer to my three previous questions to the Prime Minister, asking him to outline his future plans on Iraq, preschools and hospitals. I refer specifically to my previous question, which asked the PM: apart from taking over one hospital in one seat in one state, what is his plan for the future of all the nation’s hospitals? Given that the Prime Minister’s previous and very long answer did not mention his future plans for hospitals once, would he do so now?

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

I feel duly rebuked! The difference between the Leader of the Opposition and the policy he enunciates in relation to hospitals is to be found not only in relation to the things that I have mentioned but also in relation to the determination of this government through the measures that it has already introduced and will continue into the future, measures that are designed to deal with some of the issues of bed blocking, measures that are designed to take the load off the emergency departments by introducing more after-hours services, measures which are designed to provide the co-location of GP clinics with public hospitals, measures which are designed to ensure that by having a strong private hospital system you take the load off the public hospital system. The great problem that the Leader of the Opposition has is the inherent contradiction in that, in having opposed the development of a strong private hospital system, he in effect has placed much greater pressure on the public hospital system of this country.

Our view is that if you promise the Australian people that you will take over public hospitals you have an obligation to explain how you are going to fund that takeover. The Leader of the Opposition so far has failed to tell the Australian people how, if he does take over public hospitals, he will fund that takeover. Will he take money from the states? Will he stand up to the state Labor premiers? Or will he, as we believe, in government join with state Labor premiers to increase the GST?

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

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance. We still do not know what his plan is.

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

The member will resume her seat. I have been listening carefully to the Prime Minister. He was asked a question about hospitals. He is entirely in order. If the member continues to take frivolous points of order, I will deal with her.

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

Let me say very directly to the member for Gellibrand: our plan is to keep the GST at 10 per cent. That is our plan. We do not intend to increase the GST by 40 per cent to fund a takeover of public hospitals.