Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 470, standing in my name for today, relating to Medicare.

Leave granted.

I, and also on behalf of Senator Lazarus, move the motion as amended:

That the Senate—

(a) expresses concern at the proposed sale of the $29 billion Medicare payment system, which will put thousands of jobs at risk and compromise service;

(b) notes that the sale will open the door for further privatisations within the Department of Human Services and other federal government agencies, including the Australian Taxation Office; and

(c) calls on the Australian Government to:

(i) protect Australian jobs and ensure that all jobs remain in Australia, as is currently the case, and

(ii) reject the privatisation of Medicare's key administrative functions.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government does not support this motion. After years under Labor's mismanagement and waste, this government is focused on improving the way services are delivered. Despite scaremongering and hysteria by the Australian Labor Party and the union movement, we are not privatising or 'selling off Medicare by the backdoor'. In 2014-15 budget, the government announced that it would develop a proposal to market test the delivery of a commercially integrated health payment system. The current information technology systems are dated, unnecessarily complex, inflexible and costly to update.

Given the circumstances, it is entirely appropriate to review alternatives that may be available. The expression of interest process is the first step in informing the government of possible future options for calculating entitlements and dispersing payments. No decisions have been made and it is far too early to speculate on outcome. Claims of job losses are both irresponsible and alarmist.

Glenn Lazarus (Queensland, Palmer United Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Glenn Lazarus (Queensland, Palmer United Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Palmer United is deeply concerned by the selling off of Australia's assets and government services. The Newman government is trying to sell off the assets of Queenslanders in my home state of Queensland and we are seeing the Abbott government eyeing off national assets across Australia. The sell-off of Australia has to stop. Every time one of our assets is sold off, we lose jobs overseas, we lose revenue overseas and we lose control of vital services overseas.

The selling of Australian assets and government services is short-sighted and compromises the long-term interests of Australia. The only way that we can ensure our prosperity as a nation is to ensure that we own Australia. The only way that we can ensure that jobs stay in Australia is to own our own government services and to own our own government assets. I hope the Senate will support Senator Di Natale and I in stopping the sell-off of Australia and protecting Australian jobs. Medicare's key administrative functions should not be privatised.

Question agreed to.