Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I have outlined to the Senate the areas in which we know the Liberals and Nationals will make cuts to health and hospital services. They will have to find the $70 billion worth of cuts—and they will take it out of health, I have no doubt. The great uncertainty for all Australians is that the Liberals and Nationals have not announced just where those cuts are likely to come from. But, given their record, we know on this side that they will be making service cuts in health and hospitals. The Liberals and Nationals stand for only one thing: the power of no—no to health reform, no to PBS reform, no to private health insurance reform, no to a Preventive Health Agency, no to better health and hospital funding, no to extra front-line services. The Nationals always call for more services to regional Australia. I call on them to stand up to the power of no from their coalition partners. The Nationals should safeguard things like the $160 million for— (Time expired)