Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

This matter of public importance from the opposition is nothing more than an attempt to undermine the government’s health reform agenda. I am pleased I have the opportunity to set the record straight because all we have heard from the opposition today is political grandstanding and furphies of the highest order. Those opposite should be ashamed. It is time those opposite got onboard with the government to help deliver the better health services that the Australian people deserve. Instead, they seem far more content to play politics and to use the Senate as a vehicle to oppose and wreak havoc.

What do we hear from those opposite? Never an alternative plan or policy—those opposite are far more interested in wrecking and in being fiscally irresponsible. That is exactly what we saw this morning when they blew a $300-million hole in the budget. Those opposite can beat their chests all day long about being fiscally responsible, but what we got this morning from the opposition was fiscally irresponsible. It was all part of their campaign to derail and sabotage the budget. As Senator Wong said in question time, it was ‘political opportunism of the highest order.’ It is hardly the first time they have been caught out being fiscally irresponsible in this place; time and time again the opposition have behaved recklessly with the nation’s finances.

Those opposite have form in this area. In fact, it was only a few days ago when the opposition leader, Mr Abbott, and his shadow Treasurer, Mr Hockey, were announcing their alternative to the government’s vitally important flood levy that they were found to have once again made errors in their costings. Mr Abbott and Mr Hockey could not agree on the figures; they counted more savings than there actually were; they double counted. And I say they ‘again’ made errors in their costings because who could forget when Mr Hockey and Mr Robb, the shadow finance minister, made costing errors in the coalition’s election promises?

Today would not be the first time that those opposite have used this place to peddle the same old tired, point-scoring political lines. Those opposite clearly favour wrecking and opposing, trying to use this place as a wrecking ball, which brings us to today’s matter of public importance. Whilst those opposite can spread their furphies, the fact remains that since coming to office the Labor government have made significant investments in health and ageing. However, we are well aware that our hospitals are still suffering under the weight of a decade of neglect from those opposite and the Howard government. It was those opposite who, for 10 years, ignored Australia’s hospital system. They left the country’s health system in a shambles, through a tale of neglect, and removed $1 billion from the health system.

Who can forget that when the now opposition leader, Mr Tony Abbott, was health minister he capped GP training places at 600 a year. This resulted in a chronic shortage of GPs, meaning Australian families could not see a doctor when they needed to. So, after the health system was ignored for over 10 years, we are aware of the huge amount of hard work and improvements that need to be made. In my home state of Tasmania the Labor government’s investment in the public health system comes as a welcome relief, because during the Howard government’s last five years in office they underfunded Tasmania’s public health system by a staggering $70 million.

Whilst those opposite can cry crocodile tears all they like, since coming to office this government has set about investing heavily in our hospital system. We are also applying a renewed focus on preventative health measures through a historic $872 million investment, which could be placed in jeopardy because of the reckless actions of those opposite. The investment announced at the COAG meeting is the single biggest investment ever made by a Commonwealth government in preventative health measures.

However, we are well aware that our hospitals are still suffering under the weight of a decade of neglect from those opposite. After the previous government ignored the health system for 12 years, we are aware of the huge amount of hard work and improvement needed. As I have already stated, those opposite slashed $1 billion from public hospitals. They also caused a national shortage in the medical workforce by freezing medical student places through a cap on GP training places—which we have seen lead to a doctor shortage around the country. Those opposite also, as in so many areas during their reign, failed to plan for the future. They ignored the future challenges facing our health system such as an ageing population and the growing burden of chronic disease.

That is why since coming to office the Labor government has embarked on making significant investment in the health system. In fact, since coming to office in 2007 we have increased hospital funding by 50 per cent and invested in emergency department upgrades at 37 hospitals right around Australia. This is helping us deliver more timely services to people when they present at emergency departments. We have delivered 70,000 more elective surgery operations, 265,000 GP superclinic services and one million Teen Dental Plan services and we are training 1,000 more nurses a year. There are also 1,300 more subacute beds available because of the policies of the Labor government.

We have also made elective surgery improvements at over 125 hospitals and initiated 32 major Health and Hospitals Fund projects and 22 regional cancer centres. We are introducing the e-health records system, which will ensure that every Australian who wants an electronic health record will have one. This will be a valuable resource as it will allow doctors to look up a patient’s medical history so that they are able to provide the very best of care. We have also placed a renewed focus on primary care, by investing in 64 GP superclinics, GP practice upgrades and 4,600 practice nurses. I am pleased to report to the Senate that 28 of the original 36 superclinics are now completed, are operating interim services or are under construction. We have given nurses and midwives access to Medicare and the PBS. We have delivered the MyHospitals website.

These are indeed impressive measures, from a government totally committed to providing the very best health care for Australians. However, we will not rest on our laurels; we will not stop there. There is more work to be done. We are also making significant investment in the health workforce by delivering 1,000 extra nurses a year and over 6,000 more doctors over the next decade. In fact, after lifting the cap on Mr Abbott’s GP training quota we will have doubled the number of GPs entering training by 2014.

We recognise that to keep pace with Australia’s health requirements we need to continue to invest in our health workforce. That is why the government has set up Health Workforce Australia, or HWA. It will provide the government with advice on how to meet the future challenges of providing a health workforce that responds to the needs of the Australian community. HWA will develop policy and deliver programs across four main areas—workforce planning, policy and research; clinical education; innovation and reform of the health workforce; and the recruitment and retention of international health professionals.

We remain totally committed to investing in Australia’s health system, as the Minister for Health, the Hon. Nicola Roxon, outlined in her recent address to the Australian Health Care Reform Alliance Health Reform Summit:

Health reform has been a hallmark of this Government.

We have a strong and undeniable track record and remain committed to driving and delivering reform.

Our health system needs it; the future wellbeing of our country demands it.

On coming to office we also recognised that aged care was going to be a significant area of health concern in the future, so the Labor government is providing more funding for more services to more older Australians than ever before.

So, to recap, the records are clear and speak for themselves—there is a stark contrast between the records of the Labor government and the former Howard government. Our record speaks for itself—we have made record investments in Australia’s health care sector. We have invested significantly in extra hospital funding, we are delivering more doctors and more nurses, we have cut elective surgery waiting lists and we have placed a significant focus on preventative health.

On the other hand, we have the record of those opposite and Mr Abbott, which does not make good reading. Those opposite ripped $1 billion out of hospitals, capped GP training places and left a shortage of nurses. There was a workforce shortage across the country of 60 per cent. They adopted an ad hoc approach to our health needs. (Time expired)