Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health. Will the health minister please update the House on how a stronger economy enables the government to deliver life-changing support services for drug addiction to those living in Redcliffe and Caboolture? Is the minister aware of any alternative attitudes to the funding of health services in Queensland?

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

I want to thank the member for Petrie for his question. He comes to this place as somebody who ran a successful small business, and one of the things he knows is that, in order to run a successful economy as well as a successful small business, you need a plan.

Dr Freelander interjecting—

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

The member for Macarthur!

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

And that's a plan which is about ensuring that we have lower costs and the capacity to invest. That plan, which this government has, allowed us to help the country deliver an extra million jobs, and those million jobs have allowed us to ensure that we are able to guarantee the essential services that matter to all Australians, with record funding for Medicare, for hospitals, for mental health and for aged care. But one of his particular passions is ensuring that we have adequate support, real and powerful support, for drug and alcohol dependency. In his own electorate, he's been a powerful and unstinting advocate for the Redcliffe PCYC, helping to secure a $450,000 upgrade to their services, and, only recently, a new local drug and alcohol team.

But he also asks about Caboolture. Only recently I visited Caboolture and I was there with our candidate for the seat of Longman, Trevor Ruthenberg.

A government member: Big Trev.

Absolutely—Big Trev has the heart of a lion. And one of his passions is also to ensure that there is drug and alcohol treatment for the people of Caboolture who need that additional support, according to the needs assessment of the Primary Health Network. Whilst we were there, we outlined additional funding of $11 million for Lives Lived Well. That funding goes to residential care and bed but also to detox and to recovery and day services. And the reason we did that is the very testimonial that I received today from one of the clients of Lives Lived Well, Debbie, who has had a drug and alcohol problem. Her quote is: 'After seeing Lives Lived Well for the past two months, I have a better understanding of why I was using ice and I've got control back over my life. Now I can focus again. I've been able to get a job and get back into my hobbies.' That's what we're supporting. That's what matters on the ground. That's what Big Trev is supporting. That's what the coalition is fighting for in Longman.

What that compares with is what Queensland Labor has done. Whilst we've been adding to the Brisbane Metro North Hospital and Health Service—$120 million in the last full year to that area for hospital funding—Queensland Labor has cut $20 million from the Brisbane Metro North. Why? Because they can't manage the economy, and if you can't manage the economy— (Time expired)