Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is also to the Assistant Minister for Health, Senator Nash. Can the minister update the Senate on the GP superclinic in Cockburn, Western Australia. Have there been any delays, and has delivery of health services in my home state been affected?

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

I can inform the chamber that the $6.5 million Cockburn GP Super Clinic was promised by the previous Labor government more than three years ago on 31 August 2009. It is still not open, and it is still yet to see a single patient. The first sod was turned on 25 October 2011, with a promise from the previous Labor government that it would be completed by 2013. It would be no surprise for people in this place to discover that, 2½ years later, it is still not finished.

I did a bit of research to do a bit of comparison. Senators would be interested to know that the Eiffel Tower was constructed of 18,000—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! Senator Nash, I need to hear your answer. Order, those on my left!

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

The Eiffel Tower was constructed of 18,000 separate pieces of steel which weighed more than 7,300 tonnes. It has 2.5 million rivets holding it together, all inserted by hand. It is 324 metres high, has 81 storeys and is known the world over. I do not think anybody in this chamber could disagree that it is a significant construction project. It only took two years, two months and five days to construct—less time than the Cockburn GP Super Clinic.

So the history of ill-thought-through policy on the run from this government continues. The history of mismanagement continues. The previous Labor government were unable to deliver for the people in this nation. It is this coalition government that will deliver health services to people across the nation where they are needed.

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister update the Senate on the status of other Western Australian GP superclinics?

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

I think senators would be interested to note that the previous Labor government promised six GP superclinics across the country but delivered only one. In 2007 they promised one for Wanneroo. In 2010, the previous Labor government promised it again. It is still not built. In 2010 they promised one for Rockingham. It is still not built. In 2010 they promised one for Northam. It is still not built. In 2010 they promised one for Karratha. It is still not built. This is a success rate by the previous Labor government of 17 per cent—a fail by anybody's account. Western Australians have a clear choice. When they go to the polls they can choose between those opposite, who clearly are seemingly proud to have delivered virtually nothing for the people of this nation when it comes to health, or the Western Australian— (Time expired)

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister inform the Senate how many GP superclinics were previously promised across Australia and how many had actually been delivered at the time when the coalition came into government?

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

The previous Labor government promised 64 GP superclinics around the country at a cost of more than $650 million. Unfortunately, there was nothing super about the former government's failure to deliver on its promise. You only have to look at the Redcliffe GP superclinic, which was originally a $5 million Commonwealth commitment from those on the other side when previously in government. It took six years and blew out to $13.2 million. This was from those opposite. Senators might like to take a guess at exactly how many clinics the previous Labor government delivered. It is not 50; it is not 40. The previous Labor government managed to deliver only 33 of the 64 clinics—a lot of them in Western Australia. People in Western Australia will know that it is the National and Liberal Senate candidates who should be their choice. (Time expired)

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.