Health System Reform

Ms NOREEN HAY: My question is addressed to the Premier. Will the Premier update the House on opportunities to provide Federal-State cooperation in the health system?

Mr John Williams: Get the GST money back for a start.

The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Murray-Darling to order.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: It is amazing how quickly those opposite have signed up to the argument about the GST imbalance. They did not even wait for Kevin Rudd to be sworn in.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Terrigal will cease interjecting.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: They spent 11 years saying, "There's no such thing as an imbalance."

The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Small Business will cease interjecting.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: I am happy to inform the House about the opportunities for health reform and greater cooperation in health. Today in Hobart the nation's health Ministers gather to start reforming our health system and to start the process of building a truly national health system. Today's ministerial council meeting in Hobart is a historic opportunity to start the reform that is required in our health system. That is something that Tony Abbott chose to ignore in July. When the health Ministers gathered in Canberra in July Tony Abbott said, "Come back and see me after the election". He said, "Let's put the nation's health system on hold; let's leave reform and funding of our hospitals until after we see whether the Howard Government is returned and then I'll wheel out the secret plan to cut more funding from our hospitals."

Mr Greg Smith: Fabrication!

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: No, not at all.

The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Epping to order for the second time. He will cease his commentary.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: These are Mr Abbott's own words. He said, "Yes, we've reduced our share of funding to hospitals and the States have increased their share." Mr Abbott made that acknowledgment on national television—and he was very happy to smile while doing so. Today the nation's health Ministers gathered to start the process of national reform. Today they commence work on the first initiative of the Rudd Government: a national health reform commission. After today's meeting the work will start. Mr Rudd has put an extra $2 billion on the table for our hospitals.

Mrs Jillian Skinner: You are going to open more beds, are you?

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: Yes, Jillian.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: The Deputy Leader of the Opposition can put money on the fact that we will be opening more beds—as we have been doing for the past three years.

The SPEAKER: Order! Members will stop calling out.

Mrs Jillian Skinner: They're closed for Christmas.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: The Deputy Leader of the Opposition says that some nurses and doctors are taking a holiday over Christmas. That must come as a surprise to her. Health professionals take leave at Christmas; they take leave at Easter. The shadow Minister for Health believes they should not do that.

The SPEAKER: Order! I call the Deputy Leader of the Opposition to order.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: That is a new way to support our hardworking nurses and doctors.

Mrs Jillian Skinner: Point of order—

The SPEAKER: Order! Members are entitled to take points of order.

Mrs Jillian Skinner: My point of order relates to Standing Order 129, which goes to relevance. Mental health beds are being closed now, not at Christmas.

The SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order. I ask the Minister for Small Business to stop calling out.

[Interruption]

The SPEAKER: Order! I call the Minister for Small Business to order.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: Yes, there will be more beds. Just a fortnight ago we announced extra beds for our hospital emergency departments. We also announced extra beds in the budget, as we have done for the past three years. At last count the figure was 1,800. My point is that Mr Rudd is starting with the proposition of providing an additional $2 billion for our hospitals. That is in stark contrast to Tony Abbott. When given an opportunity to do so during the election campaign did Mr Abbott say, "Yes, we'll put more money into hospitals?" No. He said, "Come back and see us after the election." We all know why he said that. He was very satisfied with the trend of the past 11 years, when the Commonwealth share of funding dropped from 50 per cent to 45 per cent and continued to decline. He was very happy to endorse that decline. Not only that, he was very happy to smile and laugh about it.

Mr Abbott was very happy to say, "Come back and see us after the election. Don't give the people an opportunity to vote on the policy positions of both parties but just defer it. Put the nation's health system on hold." Today the process of reform starts; today cooperation starts. We start with $2 billion. It extends to more aged care places; it extends to the proposition of the super health clinics running parallel with our program of after-hours general practitioner clinics and HealthOne clinics. These are just some of the propositions that are on the table to ensure greater cooperation. Above all, they will ensure more resources for our public hospitals, and more resources to support our hardworking nurses, doctors and other health professionals in delivering better services for the people of New South Wales and Australia.