Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Health, Senator Nash. Does the government stand by the Prime Minister's pre-election promise that no Medicare Locals will close?

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

I can indicate to the chamber that on this side of the chamber we take health delivery seriously. I can indicate to the chamber that we are going to concentrate on the delivery of services to the front line, ensuring that our health delivery goes to the front line.

As the Senate would know, Medicare Locals are currently part of a review being conducted at the instigation of Minister Dutton. We will indeed be looking to the results of that review to ensure that there is delivery of services to the front line.

Senator Wong interjecting—

Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—

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

Order! On both my right and my left: I need to hear the minister. Continue, Minister.

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

Thank you, Mr President. The Prime Minister has made it very, very clear that health delivery across Australia, particularly for Indigenous Australians, is a key priority for this government. Unlike those opposite we are going to take an absolutely focused, deliberate and thoughtful approach to the delivery of health services across this nation, which is why the review is occurring into Medicare Locals, and we will be informed by that review.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, my point of order goes to relevance. The specific question was about the Prime Minister's original promise. Could you draw that to the minister's notice.

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

I gathered from the action of the minister that the minister had finished answering the question and had resumed the minister's seat. In those circumstances, there is no point of order.

Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question, and perhaps we can get an actual number this time. How many Medicare Locals in my home state of Western Australia are on the chopping block?

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

As senators would realise, there are 61 Medicare Locals and all are subject to the review that is currently taking place. In terms of the senator's home state of Tasmania, it is completely erroneous—

Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, if I could just draw Senator Nash's attention to the fact that my home state is Western Australia and I asked about Western Australia.

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

That is not a point of order. That is a debating point.

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

I do apologise to the senator. It is of course Western Australia, and perhaps she could indicate to her leader that Western Australia is not South Australia. As I was saying, it is erroneous for the senator to use the phrase 'the chopping block'. That is indeed incorrect. Senators know there is a review taking place at this point in time, which is the appropriate way forward to determine the efficacy of the Medicare Locals and steps forward.

Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Why won't the government reveal its plans to close Medicare Locals before the Western Australian Senate election?

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

What a stunt from the senator on the other side relating to the potential Western Australian election. This government has been very clear about how we are going to approach health delivery across this nation. It is going to be about ensuring that we have the delivery to the front-line services that we need. This was so clearly lacking from the previous Labor government, which was caught in bureaucracy and a lack of attention to what we needed in terms of front-line services and getting services out on the ground where they were needed, to the people who needed them.