Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

The government does not support this motion. After years under Labor's mismanagement and waste, this government is focused on improving the way services are delivered. Despite scaremongering and hysteria by the Australian Labor Party and the union movement, we are not privatising or 'selling off Medicare by the backdoor'. In 2014-15 budget, the government announced that it would develop a proposal to market test the delivery of a commercially integrated health payment system. The current information technology systems are dated, unnecessarily complex, inflexible and costly to update.

Given the circumstances, it is entirely appropriate to review alternatives that may be available. The expression of interest process is the first step in informing the government of possible future options for calculating entitlements and dispersing payments. No decisions have been made and it is far too early to speculate on outcome. Claims of job losses are both irresponsible and alarmist.