Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McLucas for that question. I am interested, indeed intrigued, that a Queensland senator has asked a question about a Tasmanian hospital, and I wonder why it is that the Labor Party cannot find a Tasmanian senator to ask about a Tasmanian hospital. It is quite a remarkable turn of events, and it does reflect the fact that the Labor Party is all over the place on this issue. It says, ‘Oh well, it’s a bit tricky.’ When Mr Rudd is asked, ‘What’s your position?’ he says, ‘Oh well, I don’t have a position; I’m just going to have a look at this, see this and see that.’ It is absolutely typical of Mr Rudd. We know he has only two policies: one is to wreck our industrial relations system and the other is his 60 per cent cut in carbon emissions. We cannot find any other policies. When we make a significant intervention to ensure the retention of health services in Tasmania, Mr Rudd is nowhere to be seen, and nor are any of his Tasmanian senators, which is fascinating.

As to the position of the finance department, I am happy to answer the question. This is a government decision which, as I said on Channel 10, I fully support.