BUSINESS
Mrs McINTOSH (Lindsay) (15:43): I second the motion and I ask the Albanese government a simple question: are you facing your people? Have you been out there on the weekend? The member for Wannon talked about a family that have been impacted by cancer and their reliance on private health insurance and the rebate.
I was speaking to a gentleman at an event in my community just this week, and he was extremely concerned. He's been struggling with cancer. He's been fighting cancer.
And he also is reliant on receiving the rebate because he would otherwise not be able to afford his cancer treatment. The minister for health talks a big game. He steps up in question time and says the government has to make tough decisions.
Well, how about this government make the right decisions for Australians? It doesn't have to be that tough if the decision is right, and we know that this is completely the wrong decision. This is the same health minister who cut psychology sessions—20 psychology sessions desperately needed by Australians—in half.
We had the policy, on this side, to return those sessions to Australians who need mental health help. This is the same health minister who is now stripping away the private health insurance rebate from older Australians. Millions of Australians will be impacted.
This is the nonsensical part about it. You don't meet a single Australian who thinks this is a good thing, and I'm not just talking about over-65-year-olds. This is going to impact every health insurance premium.
I've spoken to the health insurance industry, and they said it's going to impact younger people as well. So it's not just about over-65s. Mr Hogan: It's going to affect anyone who's at the public hospital.
Mrs McINTOSH: It's going to go all the way through the system. Anyone that wants private health insurance—their premiums will be up. And, as you said, Mr Hogan—that's exactly right.
Most importantly of all, our public health systems are under so much pressure. In outer metro areas like mine in Western Sydney, the hospitals are bursting at the seams. To have more pressure on our public hospitals—how can the Minister for Health stand, look the Australian people in the eye and say: 'This is the right decision.
We are going to put more pressure on our already overstretched public health system, a public health system that everyday Australians rely on.' We already know the waitlists are extremely long to get into any elective surgery. We know that, when you go to an emergency room, it can be hours to wait. I know a woman who took her son, and he was vomiting up black the other day.
They had to wait in the waiting room of the emergency department for over 11 hours. Mr Hogan: It's going to get a whole lot worse. Mrs McINTOSH: It's going to get so much worse.
You're waiting 11 hours now. With this completely heartless cut by the Albanese government, the pressure is going to get even worse. I can tell you story after story.
I've got Warren in my electorate of Lindsay. He's 77. His wife is 76.
He's paid for private health insurance for 62 years, and this is how this government's repaying him. His premium is already at $48.95 a month, and he said, very, very concerningly: 'I find it extremely upsetting that I no longer will be able to afford to pay the premium in the latter days of my life.' He's not looking forward to his future. He is not going to be able to afford to pay that premium.
This is how this government is treating everyday older Australians, who have given this country so much and are so reliant. But they're not just reliant; they're doing a service for all Australians because they're taking the burden off the public system. This government wants to put the burden right back on, and it is going to hurt.
As I said, it's not just going to hurt older Australians; it is going to feed all the way through down to the younger generation, who are already paying through the roof for premium health insurance cover. As I said, it's going to hurt people in my electorate and in the outer metro suburbs of every one of our cities, where we are stretched to the limit. Our roads are stretched, our schools are stretched and our hospitals are going to be even more stretched.
The Health Minister is standing here today looking at Australians in the eye with his dimpled grin. He thinks that it's a good thing. He just thinks it's a tough decision.
We have to make tough decisions. Minister, as I said at the outset, make the right decision. It's not just the opposition saying this is completely wrong and out of step with what Australians want.
It is everyday Australians. It is our older Australians— Mr Hogan: It's Labor premiers. Mrs McINTOSH: And it is Labor premiers across this country.
We won't let you down. We'll keep fighting for you everyday Australians. We'll do everything we can because this is absolutely a load of junk.
The SPEAKER: The question is the motion be agreed to.