Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Evans, the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing. Has the Rudd government committed funding to redeveloping the Hobart Private Hospital site? If so, how much?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am not able to give the senator an exact answer to that particular question. I do not have a brief which covers Commonwealth funding for the particular hospital he has mentioned. I anticipated that we might have questions on state election issues relating to South Australia and Tasmania. I can give the senator some more general information about healthcare funding in Tasmania, but I will take on notice—

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am trying to be helpful to the senator. I am able to indicate to him that under the healthcare agreement, in which we will deliver $64 billion over five years—an increase of more than $20 billion, or 50 per cent, on the last agreement—Tasmania will receive about $1.33 billion. But, as I indicated—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on a point of order: under sessional orders the minister has to be directly relevant to the question that was asked. It was a very direct question in relation to the Hobart Private Hospital site. The minister has indicated he has no information and will take the question on notice. That is appropriate. But to then ramble on for another minute or more on all sorts of extraneous matters is clearly not directly relevant to the matter raised in the question.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on the point of order: Senator Evans has absolutely taken on notice to seek further information on key parts of the question, as is appropriate, and he is now giving further explanation on other matters that are relevant to the question. It is clear that he is directly relevant to the question, and I ask you to dismiss this spurious point of order.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am listening closely to the minister’s answer. The minister has 55 seconds remaining if he has any further element to answer.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Abetz might not want me to be helpful in response to Senator Barnett’s question. If that is the case, I am happy to accept it. As the senator understands, the minister for health is in the other chamber. Senator Ludwig normally represents the minister but he is in Queensland inspecting the flood damage.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Excuses, excuses!

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator, are you saying Senator Ludwig should not take an interest in the Queensland flood damage? I would be surprised if that is the opposition’s position.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Ignore the interjections.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I was quite surprised that the opposition would take the view that the minister attending in Queensland to assess the damage and community response is an appropriate thing for a senior cabinet minister to do.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, under sessional orders the minister is required to be directly relevant to the question asked. Given that he has no further information, he is not allowed to verbal me and put things on the record which are patently false. I invite you to direct the minister to either directly answer the question or sit down.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, there was absolutely no point of order taken by Senator Abetz. What we are seeing here is constant interjections from those opposite during Senator Evans’s answer. In fact, the relevant point of order should be to ask you to call those opposite to come to order and stop interjecting across the chamber.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said earlier, I am listening closely to the answer that is being given by the minister. I am aware of what the minister has said. I said to the minister that if he had any further material that was relevant to the question he should continue to give it.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have attempted to be helpful. If I can get further information to the senator I will. But, as I said, I have no brief on that particular hospital and Commonwealth funding to it.

Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am surprised at the minister’s response in light of the fact that this is on the front page of the Hobart Mercury today, referring to the $565 million—

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! When we have silence we will proceed. The time for debating this is at the end of question time. If there are differing views, that is the time to debate them, not now. Senator Barnett.

Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am surprised as this was the topic of an announcement by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd yesterday in Hobart relating to the $565 million proposal to buy back the Hobart Private Hospital. That was announced by the Prime Minister and Premier Bartlett yesterday in Hobart. (Time expired)

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I seek your guidance on responding to a question that was not asked! As the senator, in making his contribution to the Tasmanian state election campaign, did not actually get around to asking a question, I am at a loss as to what I should do. So I seek your direction, Mr President, as to how I might respond.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I call Senator Barnett. Senator Barnett, before you begin I remind senators that there is a 30-second time limit on the asking of supplementary questions.

Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. What budget allocation will the money for the redevelopment of the Hobart Private Hospital site come from and over what years, and how does buying out existing beds and paying compensation—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, on both sides! Senator Barnett is entitled to be heard in silence.

Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How does buying out existing beds and paying compensation to the private operator improve health outcomes, let alone reduce waiting lists?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, on both sides! If you need to debate the issue it can be debated at the end of question time.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have indicated to the senator that I do not have a brief in my capacity representing the minister who normally represents the Minister for Health and Ageing, who is in the other house. I have never known a state election campaign to be won in the Senate. Many have tried but generally they have been unsuccessful, and I think Senator Barnett has been here long enough to know that. I said to him that I would take the question on notice. I did indicate to him, in answer to the primary question, that this government has invested more than $64 billion, over the five years, across the nation. A large amount of this goes to Tasmania—for emergency department funding, elective surgery and many other aspects of health funding—to try and ensure a first-class health system for all Tasmanians. (Time expired)