Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr President. And in doing so I can indicate, through you, to the senator that the Prime Minister has been consistent in saying that we are committed to making Medicare sustainable. We are going to continue to do that. Medicare must be sustainable.

I would say to you, Mr President, and to those opposite and also to those on the crossbenches that we have a Medicare system that was costing us $8 billion 10 years ago. It is currently costing us $19 billion. It is going to cost us $34 billion in 10 years' time. Indeed, we are providing $263 million of free services every year. That is not sustainable. People out in the Australian community can understand that that is not sustainable, and that is why we have put forward a modest reform, a modest co-payment, with a safety net for those people who need it.

Bob Hawke many years ago saw the merit. The shadow Treasurer sees the merit in a co-payment. It is about making our future, the health system's future, sustainable. I would call on those opposite to be responsible. I understand the question came from the good senator in the Greens party, but I would call on those opposite to be sensible and to support the reforms. Those opposite have absolutely no plan for the future. They had six long years in government to prove that they had a plan for the future, and they failed. They failed dismally! We can see that it is only this side, it is only this coalition government, that is committed to a sustainable future for this nation. Those on the other side left us nothing but debt and deficit and absolutely no plan for a sustainable future. The Prime Minister has indicated our commitment to ensuring that we have a sustainable health system in the future.