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

My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister promised before the election that he would reduce cost-of-living pressures. Can the Prime Minister confirm that because of this budget a single income family earning $65,000 with two kids will be around $6,000 worse off? This includes a $3.5 billion new GP tax found on page 133 of the budget papers. Why should Australian families have to pay for the Prime Minister's deception?

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

I have the budget papers before me. I have got a dual-income couple on a 70-30 income split, with two dependants aged under six, earning $60,000, and they will receive $10,067 a year through the social security system in 2016-17. Under this government people will continue to receive generous social security benefits. The difference is that under this government they will be sustainable. Under members opposite, they were being paid for by borrowed money. They were mortgaging our children's and our grandchildren's future so that they could big-note themselves with handouts. That is what they were doing. When it comes to—

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Where's the handout?

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

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

The Leader of the Opposition will desist, as will the Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

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

I just make the point to the shadow minister: why is it right to have a PBS co-payment and somehow wrong to have a Medicare co-payment?

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

All invested back into pharmaceuticals.

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

The member for Ballarat will desist.

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

She can interject, but it would actually be nice to have from members opposite a clear rationale. Why is it right to have a PBS co-payment and somehow wrong to have a Medicare co-payment, especially when Bob Hawke was the father and the member for Jagajaga was the mother of the co-payment and the member for Fraser is the child of the co-payment?

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The member for Ballarat on a point of order—and it had better be a proper point of order.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance. He was asked about the $3.5 billion GP tax all of which is not being invested back into health care.

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

No, that is not making the case out under the standing orders. The member will resume her seat.

Mr Dutton interjecting—

The honourable Minister for Health will desist!

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

I know that members opposite do not like being reminded of the fact that former Prime Minister Bob Hawke brought in a co-payment and the current shadow minister for families supported a co-payment, and the Labor shadow Treasurer down there supports a co-payment. But let us just repeat what the member for Fraser thinks:

… there’s a better way of operating a health system, and the change should hardly hurt at all … the ideal model involves a small co-payment—not enough to put a dent in your weekly budget, but enough to make you think twice before you call the doc. And the idea is hardly radical.

So I say to the member who asked the question: your argument is not with me; your argument is with your own Assistant Treasurer. You persuade the Shadow Assistant Treasurer that a co-payment is a bad idea, and then I will start to listen to you.