Laura Smyth (La Trobe, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very pleased today to be able to put on the record some of the local and very practical results of this government's investment in mental health. There has been a very sizeable, in fact a record, commitment by this government during this term to mental health services, research, support arrangements, respite and carer support services. This is an opportunity for me today to be able to reflect on some positive developments, particularly over the last few weeks, which have been the result of the collective efforts of many in my community to bring additional mental health services to an area that is a growing part of Melbourne.

I had the opportunity in recent weeks to visit a new carer support service which is operating out of Narre Warren in my electorate and which has been the beneficiary of around $600,000 from the federal government through its mental health funding commitments. It is a service called Mind Australia and it will be providing respite care and support to those who have family members who experience considerable mental health issues and have mental health concerns. So it is a place where not only people with mental illness can attend and obtain support but also those who support them can in turn be provided with some assistance.

This is complemented by the very recent opening of a new Headspace unit in the same part of the world—a little bit further away from Narre Warren but servicing the needs of the Greater Dandenong, Casey and, ultimately, Cardinia communities. It is a very welcome initiative. I know that many other communities around the country have similarly benefited, but this is certainly something which I think will not only be able to provide a fixed service in Dandenong for people to visit but have the capacity ultimately to provide outreach services more particularly for communities a bit further out, in Cardinia and Casey.

A third initiative—so three initiatives have occurred almost simultaneously in recent weeks—is one I was very pleased to finally be able make an announcement about, and that is of some additional resources for young people in the Berwick and the broader Casey region. The Minister for Health came down to make an announcement about that a couple of weeks ago and we were able to do so at the Berwick Healthcare Centre, which has previously been known as the Berwick Superclinic. Again, this will be a very welcome development for our region.

Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was interested to read last night the comments by ex-Labor chief pollster Rod Cameron who said:

The majority of the modern Labor Party—the caucus, the leadership, the machine and, importantly, the union bosses who now dictate policy—has totally lost the plot.

I could go on giving many examples but one I would like to give is the complete delusion being run by this government in their Australia in the Asian century white paper that Australia is destined to be the food bowl of Asia. We certainly have the potential to be, but let us have a look at what is happening under the policies of this government. Recently we have seen Windsor Farm Foods in Cowra, the last Australian owned cannery, close. Rosella, the iconic brand and food producer, has closed its doors. Heinz in Victoria, maker of the iconic tomato sauce label, has closed its doors. Golden Circle's beetroot cannery in Queensland has closed its doors. And now we have seen today that Simplot may close the last cannery in New South Wales. This is going on and on. And we have also heard that down in the Goulburn Valley SPC are cutting back their demand from growers and we are going to bulldoze three quarter of a million fruit trees. All of this is happening under the policies of this government.

Honourable member interjecting—

Three quarters of a million fruit trees may seem to be a joke to you, but what can we do to try to fix these problems? Firstly, we are reaping what we have sown by allowing trade practices laws to evolve into a situation where more than 80 per cent of the market is controlled by the two largest supermarkets. The other problem we must tackle is labelling laws, which allow overseas products to be privately labelled with the country of origin hidden on the back which consumers cannot see. We should have labelling laws the way we do for our seafood and our fruit and vegetables, so that consumers can see on the front of the package whether they are buying Australian produce or produce from another country, so that they can make up their own minds.

Honourable member interjecting—

Instead, it is only on the back in fine print. Government MPs do not understand the problem we have and this is the tragedy we have with this government. They cannot even admit that we have a serious problem. Under this government, in the last 12 months we have seen 7,000 jobs lost in the food producing sector, 335 small food manufacturers closed down and these blokes just sit and have no idea.

Honourable members interjecting—

They are here just filling in time through the last 100 days. It is an absolute joke. (Time expired)

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leader of the National Party, what are you calling for?

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member should withdraw. He used a word which yesterday was required to be withdrawn in the House.

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Wide Bay and Leader of the National Party. I did not hear it over the noise. The member would assist the chamber if he would withdraw unreservedly.

An honourable member: I withdraw unreservedly.

Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This year's budget in Queensland and Premier Campbell Newman and the LNP state government are doing nothing to support jobs and provide better services for Queensland families and families in the electorate of Blair. Campbell Newman has simply cut too hard, too fast, with savage cuts to jobs and frontline services, particularly in health and education, and has devastated business confidence. In fact, Campbell Newman has let a child's state of origin affect their educational funding and health outcomes. While New South Wales schools will benefit by $1.6 billion over the next six years, $2.2 billion extra is on the table for Queensland schools over the next six years and Campbell Newman should sign up to the Gonski reforms. Instead, he is putting the Liberal Party interests ahead of the kids of Queensland. He has no credibility, given the savage cuts he has inflicted on the educational sector, including closure of state schools in Queensland. He should be talking constructively with this government to make sure that every child in Queensland has a better life.

Queensland Treasurer Tim Nicholls failed to mention that his budget centrepiece, in the fine print, the Great teachers = Great results initiative, relies on Commonwealth government funding. When it comes to health, the coalition government in Queensland is devastating front-line health services to all Queenslanders. Campbell Newman is slashing about 70,000 outpatient services, such as palliative care, pain management and rehabilitation, as a result of this budget. These vicious cuts come on top of the budget papers and reveal that health funding falls short in Queensland by the $137 million required to keep up with the growth in services that Queenslanders need. Investment in Queensland Health is not even keeping up with population growth or health cost increases.

Around 70,000 specialist and allied health outpatient services, such as palliative care and pain management, will be lost under Campbell Newman. To maintain the current level of services, he would have to include an extra $241 million—that is, 6.3 per cent in the state budget—for acute care services. Instead, he is providing an extra 2.7 per cent less than health inflation. The shortfall is the equivalent of 6,570 hip operations or 6,980 knee operations. This shortfall means that Queenslanders will have to wait longer for surgery. In fact, in 2012, Queensland was the only state not to have met its 2010 baseline targets for reducing the number of elective surgery outpatients who have waited the longest. This means that patients will have to wait longer this year than in 2010.

The Campbell Newman government has cut $3 billion from its first budget, continued that and sacked over 4,140 health service operators, particularly doctors and nurses providing front-line services. This has a negative impact on all of Queensland and on Queensland patients. (Time expired)

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In accordance with standing order 193 the time for constituency statements has concluded.