Ann Sudmalis (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister for Health. Will the minister outline to the House the coalition's commitment to public hospital funding in New South Wales, especially in both Gilmore and Bennelong? Is the minister aware of any approaches that are different?

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Gilmore for her question. She was a great advocate for medical services before she came to parliament—she helped raise funds, through Soroptimist, for medical services in her area—and since coming to parliament she's been a great advocate and champion for the Shoalhaven hospital. Interestingly, every year she's been in parliament she's helped deliver record funding for hospital services in New South Wales and record funding for the Shoalhaven Hospital in New South Wales. Another thing about her, though, is not just her commitment to hospitals in her electorate and in New South Wales but the fact that she has character, honesty and integrity of the highest order.

The member for Gilmore has asked me about Bennelong. Not everybody who's running for Bennelong on the Labor side has her character, honesty and integrity.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Oh no, there's only one that's running—and that person does not have character and honesty and integrity. We all know that Kristina Keneally was appointed by Eddie Obeid. But what many may have forgotten is that Kristina Keneally had to appoint a general secretary of the Labor Party when she was premier. And who was it? Of all the people she could have appointed, she appointed Sam Dastyari.

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

The minister will refer to members by their correct titles.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Eddie Obeid appointed Kristina Keneally, and Kristina Keneally appointed Sam Dastyari.

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

The minister—

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The apple never falls far from the tree but in this case the apple is rotten.

Let me focus on Medicare services, which we have already heard are increasing in Bennelong—contrary to the absolute fabrication by Labor's candidate in Bennelong. We also know that that same person has issued another patent lie—a claim that there have been cuts to hospital funding in Bennelong. Each and every year under the coalition government, hospital funding hasn't just gone up in New South Wales; through that process, it has gone up from $220 million to $390 million for the local hospital district in that area. Each year, every year, hospital funding has gone up. Yesterday we heard Kristina Keneally flat-out lie about her own Medicare wait. Today we know that she has flat-out lied about hospital funding in New South Wales and in her own local hospital district. So the lesson at the end of the day is that we are Medi-friends, Labor are Medi-frauds and you cannot trust Kristina Keneally. (Time expired)