Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. In relation to the Medicare levy surcharge threshold, the government strongly believe that a mixed model of private and public health services is essential. We have also invested in primary care to help take pressure off our public hospital system. We know that there are 500,000 preventable hospital admissions each year, including 50,000 admissions for preventable dental conditions. Unlike the opposition when they were in government, we have said that we will invest in GP super clinics in areas that need them, invest $290 million for a Commonwealth dental health program and invest $360 million for a teen dental plan, and name obesity a national health priority area. What the previous government had to say—