Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Would the minister outline how the government’s spending package will provide relief to patients and doctors in hospitals around the nation, including the Dubbo hospital, where doctors have not been paid since October and regular maintenance programs are not being undertaken? Why won’t the minister deliver on the government’s promise to fix public hospitals?

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

I thank the member for Dickson for his question because it allows us to take the opportunity to remind the House about the very significant investments that have already been made in health in the last 14 months, in contrast to the approach taken by the previous government, which used to rip money out of the public hospital system. So let me just recap in case any members have forgotten over the Christmas break about the $64 billion of health investment—a 50 per cent increase on the previous government in this healthcare agreement.

I do not hear anybody saying that a 50 per cent increase on the previous government’s healthcare agreement is an underinvestment in health. I did not hear any criticism about $1.1 billion going into the workforce. I did not hear any criticism when we put $750 million on the table for emergency departments across the country—something those opposite never did. I did not hear any objection from constituents in the electorates of those opposite and in the electorates of our members when we committed to putting $600 million into elective surgery. I can report to the House that 35,000 procedures—

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The question went to the government’s $42 billion spending package and why there was not one dollar towards those hospitals in the $42 billion announced by the Prime Minister.

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

Order! I would suggest that the member for Dickson review the latter part of his question.

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

I will get to the question of the Dubbo hospital in a moment. Let me first report to the House that I have not heard people complaining about the extra 35,000-plus procedures—hips, knees, cataracts—that were paid for by this government’s investments in its first days in office, which have now been delivered across the country. That is more than was promised.

Let me go particularly to the question of the Dubbo hospital, because it is a very bad situation. In answer to previous questions in the House I have made clear that we do not apologise and are not apologists for what is clearly an inadequate situation at that hospital. I would like to read a quote to the House, because it seems that sometimes those opposite do not like to hear my views on these things, but I wondered whether they might like to hear the member for Dickson’s view and his comments last week on 2SM.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I’m sure they would.

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

It will be very interesting for those opposite, because he said:

The issues at Dubbo hospital of course have been around for a while. The hospital and the public health issues in general have been around, frankly, for the last 10 years.

We have done more in the last year than you ever did!

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order, I am happy to clarify it. For the last 10 years Labor have been in New South Wales and they have ripped patients off—

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

The member for Dickson will resume his seat.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The House will come to order. The member for Dickson is reminded that that is not a point of order and that the Speaker’s tolerance is getting very stretched.