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. It is now 100 days since the election, after which the Prime Minister said he had learnt a very clear lesson about his attacks on Medicare. So why has the Prime Minister failed to abandon the freeze on Medicare rebates, which will mean Australians will pay more every time they go to see a doctor?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is interesting to see how the Labor Party's indignation boils down to the indexation freeze, a freeze which Labor imposed. Their complaint today, after the build up early in the House, is that the freeze has been continued. That is not what they told millions of older Australians during the election. That is not what was in the text messages or the robocalls that were frightening older Australians. The honourable member plays a violin! She regards, as do her colleagues, having pulled up off such a brilliant deceit as something of mirth. They are so proud; they are laughing with joy. How many people did they deceive?

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Ballarat will resume her seat. There is no possible point of order. I will refer her to the practice.

Ms Catherine King interjecting—

I refer you to the practice, then we can have a chat later. The Prime Minister has the call.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The difference between us and Labor on this issue is that we are getting on with the job of delivering better health services to all Australians. From 1 October, one in three brands of medicine on the PBS are cheaper for consumers by as much as $20 per script, per medicine. We have listed new medicines for melanoma, cancer and cystic fibrosis and a drug that treats and cures hepatitis C. Many of these medicines would have cost Australians tens—if not hundreds—of thousands of dollars a year, but we have been able to list them so that they only cost around $38 or just over $6 for a concession script.

Ms Catherine King interjecting—

So uninterested is the member for Ballarat at this good news for her constituents and for people suffering from melanoma, people suffering from hepatitis C and people suffering from dire diseases, the drugs for which they could not afford and are now able to afford. She is so unconcerned about it that she laughs and talks over the top of this news. She has no interest in anything but the politics of this issue, the politics of this monstrous deceit that they perpetrated on the Australian people.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order and on parliamentary conduct, there are references in practice to asserting that members of parliament have made particular comments and verballing members of parliament to have made particular comments. The Prime Minister is doing that to the member and impugning the motives of members of parliament as well.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are other forms of the House for the member for Ballarat at the end of question time, as the manager of opposition business knows.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are the only party, the only coalition and the only parties in this parliament with a plan that will pay for Medicare, so Australians will continue to receive the outstanding health care they do now and into the future. We will continue to improve that, because we are investing in the drugs that save lives and we are able to do that because of the way in which we manage the public finances of Australia.