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

(—) (): Thank you, Mr President. I thank Senator Thorp for her question—and that is the result from those opposite: all they want to do is harp on and harp on. What they do not want to do is deliver policy for Queensland or for Australia on health. Our Medicare Locals do a great job. All those opposite want to do is cut, cut and cut services: cut out of health, cut out of education, cut out of social services. Some of the programs Mr Abbott has in the firing line are great initiatives. In the firing line we would see the Lower Murray Medicare Local, who are working with the Royal Flying Doctor Service to help transport Indigenous persons with chronic health—you would have that scrapped. If you get rid of Medical Locals, that is what would go. In the firing line is Footprints, a program targeted for the homeless community in my home state of Queensland, allowing them to access to primary health care and advanced care planning. If you got your way, that would be gone as well, cutting those services. It does seem to be Mr Tony Abbott's vision— (Time expired)