Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health, Senator McKenzie. In my home state of New South Wales, the Turnbull government's cut to public hospital funding of $215 million is equivalent to 322,000 emergency department visits, 59,000 cataract extractions or 35,000 births. Does the $715 million cut to Australian public hospitals remain government policy?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Cameron, for your question because it allows me to outline for the Senate once again—we've done this a couple of times and I'm happy to do it again—the record investment that our government is putting into hospital funding through the hospital agreements with states right throughout the Federation. Since I was last able to update the Senate, we've had a few newcomers on board. The Western Australian Labor government has seen the light, the ACT Labor government has seen the light, the Northern Territory Labor government has seen the light and we've seen South Australia—thanks to a change of government in South Australia—Tasmania and New South Wales sign up to our national agreements. This will see record funding delivered to each and every state and territory government, year on year, as far as the eye can see.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order on relevance. My question is: does the $715 million cut to Australian public hospitals remain government policy?

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron—

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I don't want the rhetoric. I want to know: is the $715 million cut still there?

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron, you have one opportunity to restate the question, maybe, but not two. The minister is being directly relevant to the issue of funding of public hospitals, which was the question you asked.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know you like to frame things as cuts, and you did the same with education. It's actually not the case. On 9 February, New South Wales and Western Australia signed the heads of agreement on public hospital funding and health reform and accepted the Commonwealth's offer. What that will mean in your home state, Senator Cameron and all other New South Wales senators, is more services in hospitals, more primary health care and actually assuring those not just in Sydney but right throughout New South Wales of funding going as far as the eye can see. I'm very happy to go to the specifics of the New South Wales agreement and go through, line by line, the increase in funding that your particular state will receive, thanks to signing up to the agreement. I note, Senator Cameron, that you are not talking about what provision— (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron, a supplementary question.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian Medical Association says:

The current funding formula will doom our public hospitals to fail, and patients will suffer as a result.

How does the Turnbull government intend to correct the current funding formula?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron, I promised to give you the figures for the record investment from the Commonwealth government into New South Wales public hospital funding, and I'm very happy to share them with you. From 2017-18, there will be an annual growth of $289 million. In 2018-19, there will be $330 million of annual growth. In 2019-20, there will be $345.9 million worth of annual growth. In 2020-21—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron, on a point of order?

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, Mr President, on relevance. I've asked particularly about the AMA indicating that the formula will doom public hospitals: I'd like an answer on the AMA's position.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron, you know I cannot instruct the minister how to answer a question. I consider the minister to be directly relevant to the material of the question.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron, I've outlined once again the record investment in New South Wales public hospitals. So that means allied health; that means nurses; that means more services to New South Welsh men and women over the forward estimates. You might want to claim— (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron, a final supplementary question.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why is the Turnbull government leaving patients to suffer in doomed public hospitals while giving an $80 billion handout to big business?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I completely reject the premise of your question. When I visit New South Wales hospitals out in the regions I'm not seeing what you're seeing. What I'm seeing is doctors working hard, nurses working hard and hospital administrators working hard with the record investment that the New South Wales government has recognised is something that's going to deliver a record number of services into the New South Wales health system.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron on a point of order.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I simply asked: why is the government giving an $80 billion handout to big business, while the AMA is saying hospitals are doomed?

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm going to take this opportunity before I rule on that: latitude is granted to restate terms of questions but not to simply repeat questions. The minister is directly relevant. I ask senators to keep that in mind.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm really proud of our government and our record commitment for the national reform funding agreements that so many of your state colleagues have recognised have value. I'm sorry: if the AMA is saying that it's not going to work out, why has Premier McGowan signed up, why has the ACT government signed up and why has the Northern Territory Labor Party government signed up to the record funding?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

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