Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Senate is considering the Health Care (Appropriation) Amendment Bill 2008. This is a minor bill to increase the appropriation to states and territories under the Australian healthcare agreements by $10.25 billion. It is necessary because of the government’s decision to postpone the negotiations for the new round of agreements scheduled for the later part of 2008.

During estimates, I was pleased that the chair of the new Health and Hospitals Reform Commission, Dr Christine Bennett, agreed to appear and answer questions about the work of the commission towards providing advice to the government on, amongst other things, future funding for states and territories. There are a couple of things, however, that I would like to place on record in this debate. The Prime Minister, Mr Rudd, and the Minister for Health and Ageing, Ms Roxon, trumpeted that the new commission would operate in a non-political way, and indeed I hope that this is the case. I note that Dr Bennett agreed to provide a briefing to the shadow minister if he were to seek one. At the same time, Mr Rudd and Ms Roxon decided to make the point that one of the members of the commission was a former Liberal member of state parliament, but they did not point out that another member of the commission was a former Labor member of parliament. I would urge the government to take caution when using this approach because it does potentially damage the goodwill that exists towards this new commission.

The other thing that interests me in the evidence that the commission chair gave to the estimates hearing is that, in their consultations around Australia, the commissioners were finding that public hospitals needed what Dr Bennett called ‘a public voice’. This was in response to a question that I posed about whether or not the commission had a view on whether hospitals should have a board of management. It is interesting that the commission appears to be taking this view, given the vitriol that was poured on the previous Minister for Health and Ageing, Mr Tony Abbott, before and during the election campaign, when he said that the coalition supported the establishment of boards of management for hospitals.

The current government, even in the last seven or so months, does not have a very good record in that matter, I must say. The only hospital board of management directly reporting to the federal minister, the board of the Mersey Community Hospital, was summarily sacked by the new minister—without notice, I might add—which was quite disappointing. I am sure that the board members were very disappointed with this treatment, given that they are leaders in their community—including, incidentally, a former National President of the Australian Labor Party. So we watch with interest what the minister does about community involvement in public hospitals.

One of the points raised in the Bills Digest for this bill is that, in spite of increased expenditure on the healthcare system overall, there appear to be no incentives for the states and territories to find efficiencies in funding for the interim year. Nor has the Commonwealth indicated how the special grant of $500 million given to states and territories should be spent, other than the vague phrase that it is ‘for relieving pressure’. The opposition is, of course, fully supportive of relieving pressure on the public hospital system, especially given that the changes to the Medicare levy surcharge thresholds are likely to add pressure. We have seen evidence of that in the Tasmanian budget in the last week. With those remarks, I advise the Senate that the opposition will not be opposing the bill.

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Colbeck for his support for the Health Care (Appropriation) Amendment Bill 2008. However, I would not use the word ‘sacking’ of the advisory group in the Devonport Mersey debate.

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, that’s what they think, Senator.

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would not describe it as ‘sacking’. They might think that, but then necessarily, Senator Colbeck, their views are their views. I think it is somewhat harsh to describe the events as that. I am sure, Senator Colbeck, as you and I well know, given that we both live in Devonport—I think I could say for both of us that we would hope to see a satisfactory and rapid conclusion to the outcomes at the Mersey, better known locally as the Latrobe, hospital. With that, I thank the Senate for its support for the legislation.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.