Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aged Care, Disabilities and Carers) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Finance and Administration. Does the minister recall saying this morning that he has received analysis backing up his claim that the privatisation of Medibank Private will result in lower premiums? Will he now make public that analysis so that Medibank’s three million members can make up their own minds? Doesn’t the minister’s claim fly in the face of past claims by the government that the not-for-profit nature of the health insurance sector was acting as a brake on premium increases?

Isn’t it the case that the board of a publicly listed Medibank Private will be required to maximise profits and returns to shareholders? Isn’t it also the case that, under the current arrangements, Medibank Private returns surplus to its members through lower premiums? Minister, isn’t the sale of Medibank Private all about the government’s ideology and nothing at all to do with reducing premiums?