Julian McGauran (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

We are debating the Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives (Medicare Levy Surcharge) Bill 2009 [No. 2] and Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives (Medicare Levy Surcharge—Fringe Benefits) Bill 2009. The Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives Bill 2009 will follow this debate which, as we all know, deals with the 30 per cent rebate question. The intent of the bills we are debating this evening is to increase the Medicare levy surcharge to 1.5 per cent for single people on incomes of $90,000 to $120,000 and for couples on incomes of $180,000 to $240,000. We reject the intent of these bills, as we have done previously.

The first thing I would like to note is the utter disconnection from debate, the abandonment of legislative debate, of the other side in this chamber. Not one government member is on the speaking list for these most important bills, which we are told will be an election issue.