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

My question is to the Prime Minister. After the election, the Prime Minister admitted there was some fertile ground in relation to the government's policies on Medicare. On 11 November, the Prime Minister said that this stemmed from the 2014 budget and the co-payment. So can the Prime Minister Prime Minister confirm that the former Prime Minister and member for Warringah's 2014 budget is to blame for the community's suspicion of the government's current Medicare policies?

Mrs Sudmalis interjecting—

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

The member for Gilmore will cease interjecting.

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

The measure referred to in the 2014 budget was abandoned. It was abandoned because it was not acceptable to the public. And every member of the cabinet, including myself, takes full responsibility for the 2014 budget. But we learn lessons from the measures that we take that are not successful, that are not received, and we are addressing that. There is clearly a vulnerability there; we acknowledge that. But what we have done is be straight, honest and upfront about it. What the Labor Party has done is seek to lie and deceive people. The outrageous 'Mediscare' scandal where text messages were sent—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

And they all laugh about it. That is not the opposition; that is a parallel universe. They think telling lies is funny. They think misleading old people is funny. They keep targeting people who are old, who are vulnerable, who have many medical expenses. They think carefully selecting them and sending them a lying message which appears to come from Medicare is great politics. In the bubble that is the Labor Party, they might think it is great, but everywhere else in Australia they have one word for it; it is fraud.