Damian Hale (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence Science and Personnel. Will the minister update the House on the government’s commitment to progressively extend free basic health care to the dependants of members of the Australian Defence Force?

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Solomon for his question and acknowledge that he has a strong relationship with Defence Force personnel in his community. The member for Solomon is a good bloke who coaches the local Defence Force football team and gets on very well with the community. He has been a great advocate for the Defence Force community in Darwin whilst he has been the member.

Prior to the last election, the Labor Party made a decision, based on its view that we needed to do more for Defence Force families, that what we should do is provide progressive access to basic medical and dental care to spouses and children of Australian Defence Force personnel. After the election, we reviewed our commitment, took advice from the department and from Defence Force families across Australia and made a decision that we would not proceed in the way we had originally intended. Instead, unlike the members opposite, who do not have a policy in this area, who are not committed to assisting Defence Force families—who are not committed and nor have they committed themselves to supporting a program to provide access to free basic medical and dental care to Defence Force families, even though they are critics of ours—what we have chose to do, as a result of a review of our commitment and understanding the desires of the Defence Force community for choice and flexibility, is to provide capacity for Defence Force families on a trial basis, initially in five locations—

Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Baldwin interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Paterson is warned!

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And he does not know what he is talking about, to wit.

Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Baldwin interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Paterson is warned!

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Paterson and the member for Herbert and every other critic on the other side of the chamber would be aware that in the May budget we committed to providing basic medical care services to families at Singleton, Cairns, Katherine and East Sale and in the Karratha and Pilbara regions.

Barry Haase (Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Haase interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Kalgoorlie is warned!

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We then made a decision, which I announced last week, to extend the trial to two other communities—Townsville and Darwin. The trial to the initial five will start in May of next year. The trials to Katherine and Darwin will start in the first half of the next financial year. Once these trials have been introduced, they will provide access to free basic medical services and $300 for dental services to 16,000 Defence Force dependants. That is a quarter of the total number of dependants of the Australian Defence Force. As we are informed gradually of the implementation of these trials, we will move subsequently to provide this opportunity to all people across the Defence Force. I make the point that we have made this judgement based on making sure we have proper evidence after our trials and making sure we can—

Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You’ve changed it twice since coming to government!

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Paterson will leave the chamber for one hour.

The member for Paterson then left the chamber.

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

provide this service in the most cost-efficient and effective way and, at the same time, satisfy their desire for choice and flexibility of medical practitioner.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.