Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

I do not agree with Senator Di Natale's analysis of what is happening there. I will make a more fundamental point, though. The issue that Senator Di Natale is trying to address really points to the conflict that the government is in when we are both the regulator of the private health insurance market on one side and one of the largest market participants on the other. It will be much better for Medibank Private as a commercial business to be able to make these judgements commercially outside the government sector than as a government business enterprise. That is one of a number of reasons why we are progressing the sale, which I announced yesterday.