DOCUMENTS

Senator GALLAGHER (Australian Capital Territory—Minister for Finance, Minister for the Public Service, Minister for Women, Minister for Government Services and Manager of Government Business in the Senate) (16:10): I seek leave to make a short statement. Senator GALLAGHER: The government will not be supporting this motion and will no longer take any lectures from anyone in this chamber about government spending and finding savings.

This is the 'no-alition' back together, voting to discharge a bill that would have seen $3 billion reinvested to deliver more aged-care beds while, at the same time, responsibly managing the budget. If I look to our friends from the Greens political party on their website right this minute it says the Australian Greens 'want the redirection of all public funds currently subsidising private health insurance, including the tax rebates, to the public health system'.

That is what it says on their website, and, when they get tested in this place—what happens?—they run away; they run a mile away from what it says on their own website. What this is doing today— Senator GALLAGHER: Let's be clear about this, Senator Allman-Payne. Let's be clear about what you're doing today.

You are denying a $3 billion injection into the aged-care system.