Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health, and I refer the minister to this letter I hold from the Prime Minister to the Alcohol and Other Drugs Council, dated 14 October this year, in which the Prime Minister stated, 'I look forward to working with you in the years ahead.' Can the minister explain why, just six weeks later, he cut the council's funding and forced them into voluntary administration? Hasn't the minister directly contradicted his Prime Minister?

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

The reason is that Labor left us with $370 billion worth of debt. That is a problem, isn't it? The problem is that Labor spent money in the Health portfolio on building bureaucracies and on services that were not directly benefiting patients. And, yes, we have got tough decisions to make as a government. There is no secret about that. The argument that is being put forward by the opposition really tries to hide the fact that we have not only a Department of Health but also 21 outside agencies, many of them created by the previous government; and, if we want to make sure that we can get money to patients, get better health outcomes and deal with Labor's debt at the same time, then we have to make tough decisions.

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I seek leave to table the letter, in which the Prime Minister says, 'If you ever believe that the government can do better, please let me know.'

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is not granted.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am happy to have it.

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister said yes.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister is happy to have it. Leave is granted.