Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee) Share this | Hansard source

I stand here proudly opposing the Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives (Medicare Levy Surcharge) Bill 2009 [No. 2] and the Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives (Medicare Levy Surcharge—Fringe Benefits) Bill 2009 [No. 2], albeit knowing that the government thinks that this might be a trigger for a double dissolution election. If that is the case, I say, ‘Mr Rudd, bring it on!’ Health is critically important to all Australians and this legislation is going to adversely impact on our health system. We want to have a balance, as I said yesterday, between the public and the private sector. We know the consequence of this initiative, and that consequence will be increased pressure on public hospitals and increased pressure on private health insurance premiums. We have seen in the media today suggestions that there are likely to be increases in private health insurance and we do not want that made any worse as a result of Mr Rudd’s miscalculation.

What is very important, though, with respect to this legislation is that the government has breached its word, the government has broken yet another promise, and that is on top of the promise with respect to GROCERYchoice and the shocking waste of taxpayers’ money, Fuelwatch, the promise of childcare centres being established in schools and the establishment of GP superclinics. The government has failed dismally. The superclinics were promised before the previous election and the government has not delivered. The government promised to fix the public hospital system by 30 June 2009 and it failed—it has not responded. Here we are heading into the second quarter of 2010 and the government still has not responded. It said it would take over the public hospital system. The government has not. It has breached its word; it has broken its promise. As families, as mums and dads, we tell our kids that truth and honesty is important and that you do not break your word. Mr Rudd, you should take that lesson. You should know that that is the case. You have children and you should be aware of that. I am sure that is what you have told them as kids.

There are so many promises that have been broken. I have a copy of a letter to the Australian Health Insurance Association from Mr Rudd dated 20 November 2007. It promises no change to the private health insurance rebate scheme. And then we have a whole range of promises. On 12 May 2009 the Australian Health Insurance Association commented on how upset they have been with respect to the broken promise by Mr Rudd. The Australian Medical Association, on 12 May 2009, said:

Changes to the 30 % Private Health Insurance Rebate mean many Australian singles and families will pay a lot more for health insurance, and if you don’t keep your private health insurance you’ll be slugged with an increased Medicare Levy surcharge. They get you both ways.

I was at a rural doctors breakfast this morning. We were talking about the importance of health in rural and regional Australia. There were some very good demonstrations of that in the presentations that were made. This is not just going to hurt in the capital cities; this will hurt in rural and regional areas, places like northern Tasmania and north-west Tasmania.