Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

We know that those opposite, given the chance, want to cut Medicare if they get back into government. We know that because we have only to look at their record. What happened when they were last in government, when Mr Dutton was voted the worst health minister in the country ever? Bulk-billing was in freefall, a GP tax was on the table, they froze the Medicare rebate for six years, they cut $200 million out of emergency departments, they voted against making medicines cheaper and they threatened to cut $50 billion from public hospitals. That is the record. We don't need to imagine what it would be like; that is the record.

In terms of the women's health package, there was very quick support from those opposite, but I wonder why none of that happened when they were in government for a decade? Why did none of that happen when they were in government? It's taken a Labor government to fix it. (Time expired)