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

Our plans are in stark contrast to those opposite. As the Gillard government gets on with the job of governing, almost nothing is coming from the other side about the issue of people's health. Now the member for Dickson has come up with a bright idea. In the other place he has been caught out telling the Australian newspaper that he is going to do away with Medicare Locals. Their policy will cut $1.2 billion out of primary health care over three years. What a cruel, heartless excuse for a policy it is. Taking a leaf out of Premier Campbell Newman's playbook, the opposition have admitted that they are going to wield the axe—and we know who they will sack. Not the admin, not the CEOs; they will take the axe to 3,000 health workers—that is what they will do. This is all we get from the coalition—cuts in health. He will follow his past. Premier Newman in Queensland cut health and education and we will have Mr Abbott cut $1 billion out of the health system like he did last time. What do you think he will do if he is elected? He will wield the axe like Premier Newman. He has done it before and he will do it again. Mr Tony Abbott, I think was, by all parts, one of the worst health minister's in Australian history. It will be repeated— (Time expired)