Senate debates
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
Questions without Notice
Health
2:00 pm
Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
My question is to Senator Ludwig, the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing. Prior to the election, Prime Minister Rudd told us that he was going to reduce elective surgery waiting lists. He even told us that the buck stopped with him. So is the Tasmanian government wrong when they say in their budget papers that elective surgery waiting lists will increase due to the federal government’s decision to increase the Medicare levy surcharge threshold? I seek leave to table page 6.12 of the Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services budget papers.
Leave granted.
Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The government is committed to delivering better health systems for modern Australia. On this side of the chamber, a better health system for Australian communities is at our core. But you have to appreciate that the Liberals left us with a huge mess. After 11 years of neglect, we are beginning—
Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Clearly they agree that they left a mess and they are now trying to defend that mess. The Liberals did leave us with a mess, and we are beginning the important task of rebuilding the Australian health system. And, let me tell you, there is a lot of rebuilding to do. As we go around the country, that is reflected in what needs to be done.
The Treasurer announced the creation of a $10 billion health and hospital fund. It is important to note that this will be the single biggest investment in health infrastructure ever made by an Australian government. This will go to address waiting lists and problems in the health system right around the country, including Tasmania—which were ignored by the Liberals over the last 11½ years. The health and hospital fund will support future health infrastructure priorities, including health and hospital facilities and equipment; medical technology and equipment; and major medical research facilities and equipment, including projects and facilities which will support links between hospital based clinical research and high-quality clinical practice. This is a major step towards building the future and demonstrates this government’s commitment for a better health service for Australians now and into the future.
Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr President, I rise on a point of order. My question was about hospital waiting lists and the Tasmanian budget, which was brought down last Thursday. I would ask you to remind the minister of the question.
Alan FergusonJoe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
As I said, this is a major step towards building for the future—unlike what the Liberals did in their 11½ years. They neglected the issues and did not do what needed to be done. This government is committed to providing a fund for the future. But that is not our only investment in health; we are also investing an additional $1 billion for public hospitals in the next year, which will also go to the waiting lists that are being talked about by the opposition. It is a shame that the opposition did not look at how to address this when they were in government. This government is committed to addressing these issues. In addition there will be $600 million to slash elective surgery waiting lists, $780 million for dental care and $275 million to deliver GP superclinics in local communities.
This is not something that the opposition did when they were in government; it is something that this government is committed to do. This government is committed to deal with this matter over the course of its term. In fact, for the first time, total Commonwealth funding for health and ageing will top $50 billion next year. That compares favourably with the previous government’s health and medical infrastructure fund, which was scheduled to receive an initial allocation of $2.5 billion in the 2006-07 budget, which would have led to $150 million invested in a year’s time.
Our concrete steps to prepare for the future stand in stark contrast to what the Liberals left—the previous government’s 11 years of neglect in this area. In 2003 those opposite made the crucial decision to rip $1 billion from the public health system. No wonder they are complaining about it now in this place. And who were the losers from that decision? (Time expired)
Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I do note that the minister went absolutely nowhere near whether or not the Tasmanian government were wrong when they said in their budget papers that elective surgery lists would increase due to the government’s decision to increase the Medicare levy surcharge. I noticed that there was no attempt to address that particular question. Will the minister guarantee that public waiting lists will not get any longer as a result of Labor’s changes, in light of the Prime Minister’s promises—which we know he is so keen to keep—that he made before the election?
Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
What this government will guarantee is that we will commit to rebuilding the Australian health system, unlike what the opposition did. You left us with 650,000 Australians on public dental waiting lists, a nationwide nurses shortage of almost 6,000—
Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
That is what you left us with. You left us with a nationwide doctor shortage, affecting 60 per cent of the Australian population, and 2,300 older Australians languishing in hospital beds every night when they should have access to aged-care homes. That is what the Liberals left us with. We have committed to fixing the hospital system. At the March 2008 COAG meeting, the Commonwealth committed an immediate allocation of $1 billion to relieve pressure for 2008-09 on public hospitals. This $1 billion is made up of the indexation of the previous Commonwealth allocation for 2007-08 plus a further $500 million in additional new money. (Time expired)