PM: Well first of all, it's great to be here with Belinda McNeven, our new candidate for Hinkler, and of course, Justine Elliot, the Minister for Aged Care. It's great to be back here in Bundaberg, and great to be back here in this hospital which I visited last time when I was Leader of the Opposition. And it's an important part of the overall health and hospital network, not just of this region, but of the entire nation.
In this community, the Government has taken seriously its commitment to deliver real action on the ground. That's why we're so pleased to have Belinda as our candidate here. One or two simple facts about what we've been doing on the ground in this community- in this wider region of Hinkler, we have invested some $440 million as part of the Government's national economic stimulus strategy. Let me say that again without the musical accompaniment. We have invested some $440 million as part of the Government's overall national economic infrastructure strategy.
Now that has gone into a massive investment into local schools in this area. Some $112 million spread across some 58 schools and 214 projects, so local mums and dads, and carers and grandparents seeing new state of the art libraries being built, new state of the art classrooms being built, language centres, science centres, trades training centres, all across the region to service the needs of our kids for tomorrow while creating jobs and opportunities for small business today.
We've also been investing, of course, in the needs of the local health and hospital system, some $4 million to the Bundaberg Hospital already for additional observation beds in the emergency department- this is a very musical press conference. Okay.
Also investing in health and hospitals with already a $4 million investment (inaudible) for additional observation beds in the emergency department, together with, of course, elsewhere in Bundaberg at the Mater, with the granting of Medicare eligibility to an additional MRI unit at that hospital. And on roads, the investment in local Roads to Recovery, some $6 or $7 million to three local councils to assist there.
Why do I run through these things? To simply underline one point. This Government is determined to deliver action on the ground in local communities in things that matter. In our schools, in our hospitals, in our roads, and overall economic stimulus to provide jobs, support small business and apprentices today, while building the sort of infrastructure we need for tomorrow. Of course, part of our delivery to this local area is in the area of health and hospitals. And today I want to confirm that the Australian Government will be investing $8.3 million for new and enhanced regional cancer services here in Bundaberg.
This of course is on top of the wider investment in cancer services across regional Queensland and regional Australia that we've been announcing over the last couple of days. I am constantly stunned by the statistic that with some cancers, patients from rural areas are up to three times more likely to die within five years of diagnosis than are those who live in the cities. To be very clear about that, three times more likely to die within the first five years of diagnosis than those who live in urban areas.
That's not good enough for Australia, it's not good enough for Queensland, it's not good enough for this community. That's why we're determined to act. That's why, nationwide in this last few days, we've announced more than half a billion dollars worth of investment in comprehensive cancer care centres and networks right across the nation, not just in regional Queensland, but in all the states of Australia, and in regional centres across those states. Here in Bundaberg, this announcement will provide for an additional 14 chemotherapy chairs, and the cancer services provided in Bundaberg will work together with the Rocky Hospital where I announced some $67 million for additional radiotherapy bunkers and chemotherapy chairs only in the last twenty four hours or so.
Better cancer care for cancer sufferers across Australia, but in particular in regional centres like Bundaberg as well. The last thing I'd say before asking Justine, the Minister for Aged Care to comment, is this- that is, that also the Government is announcing today that we'll provide 651 new transition care places to help up to 4800 older people across Australia to enable them to leave hospitals sooner. This is part of a $293 million investment by the Government to provide an additional 2000 transition care places by 30 June 2012. I am advised that 126 of those new transition care places will be here in Queensland. I'm further advised that within these existing health regions some 34 of those places will be delivered.
This is again part and parcel of delivering real change on the ground to help working families, pensioners, carers, deal with the challenges of their health and hospital needs. If I could just ask Justine to add, then I'll take your questions.
ELLIOT: Thank you Prime Minister. It's the announcement of these allocations of the transition care places is part of our ongoing commitment to health and aged care. These 651 places, as the Prime Minister said, will assist up to 4800 people in terms of getting out of hospitals quicker, and getting into more appropriate settings to get the care that they need. This is part of our commitment leading up to the last election, to provide 2000 more transition care places. And of course, transition care can be provided for up to 12 weeks, and it can be a whole range of services, whether it be physiotherapy or personal care. And certainly, it's good to see and speak with many people who receive transition care. In fact, about 80% of people who have transition care either maintain their physical capacity, or in fact improve. So it's very important to ensure we get people out of hospital quicker and get them into more appropriate settings.
And of course, this is part of the Rudd Government's commitment to health, hospitals and aged care. When it comes to aged care, we're providing more services, 10,000 more places right across the nation with increased funding by 20%. We understand how important it is to be providing those services to older Australians right across the nation.
PM: Thanks very much Justine. And happy to take your questions, folks.
JOURNALIST: Will those transition places all (inaudible)
PM: They're the ones that I just mentioned before, the 34, which would flow to this existing state health region within which Bundaberg is located. Am I right folks? They're nodding intelligently, I think I've got that one right. Thank you.
Any other questions, folks?
JOURNALIST: Just on chemo care (inaudible)
PM: I'm advised that that funding here at Bundaberg is to provide those 16 additional chemotherapy chairs. That I understand is a significant enhancement on what is currently available here, and we believe that it's a very important way of supporting the health needs of local sufferers of cancer.
JOURNALIST: Will there be any money for radiation therapy (inaudible)
PM: I'm aware of that at this stage- we believe that our investments here represent a critical first step in extending cancer-related services across regional Australia. It starts here. You'll see our comprehensive integrated cancer care centres operating out of Rockhampton and out of Townsville. But we intend, over time, to expand these cancer-related services as well, making sure we've got chemotherapy services properly delivered here is very much an important first step.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: On the local clinical decisions, I would rather defer on that question to local hospital managers. I feel as if I'm about to become a consulting physician on these sorts of questions, and I'll leave that one to others.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what's your (inaudible)
PM: Who made those claims?
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: (laughs) There you go. All I can say is- can I just say, every region of Australia, for me, is important. If you were to look at where we have just in the last several days either opened or expanded the delivery of cancer services, this occurs in many parts of Australia where the party that I lead has never, ever represented those communities in Government. Let's be very clear about this. In the last couple of days or so we've had Australian Government Ministers in Bunbury in Western Australia, don't think that's ever been represented by Labor in the Federal Parliament. Tamworth in northern New South Wales, I don't think that's been represented by Labor in the Federal Parliament. Toowoomba, I don't think that's ever been represented by Labor in the Federal Parliament. You were at Toowoomba yesterday, Justine? And these are, between them, tens and tens of millions of dollars of investment.
You know what the organising principle here is? To make sure that people, wherever they live in Australia, have decent access to health and hospital services. That's what we're on about. We want to make sure it happens. And I think working families across the country, pensioners and carers, have already reached the decision that they want to see fundamental change in the system. They want to see national funding for our health and hospital system. They want to see one which is locally delivered through local hospital networks. And they want more hospital beds, they want more doctors, more nurses, but a system which also doesn't continue to encourage cost-shift and blame-shift, as the current system does.
JOURNALIST: There's been a very suspiciously timed (inaudible)
PM: Are you owning the suspicion?
JOURNALIST: Yes I am owning the suspicion.
PM: You'd prefer I didn't come?
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) health debate next week -
PM: The first time I heard about Belinda's health debate next week was when I read a brief on it as I got off the plane this morning. There you go. She tells me there's no (inaudible). I just draw your attention to where I've been this week. I've been to Cairns, I've been to Townsville, I've been to Mackay, I've been to Rocky, I've been to Gladstone, I'm here and I'm heading off to Brisbane- you know why? Each of these centres is really important, and others beside, in the delivery of health and hospital services for all Australians. We intend to get on with the business.
It's time we actually put this beyond the partisan divide. I mean, I would urge all political leaders, state and federal, Labor and conservative, to get behind national health and hospital reform. People are crying out for this.
I notice my political opponent, Mr Abbott, changing position, it seems, again today on this question - one day saying that he's opposed to our health and hospital reforms, the next day saying he won't necessarily oppose them, and today saying he's going to oppose them again. We seem to have a bit of flip-flop-flap in terms of where he actually stands on this.
Can I say, too, whether it's Premier Brumby in Victoria or Mr Abbott federally, please get on board for real, fundamental, long-term health and hospitals reform. The states and territories cannot afford to fund this system for the long-term future. That is why we, the Australian Government, are stepping in, and we think it's the right direction for the future.
JOURNALIST: Mr Rudd, part of your 2007 election campaign was a GP Superclinic which your Government has just announced (inaudible). Why has it taken three years for that to finally organise?
PM: Well, we've undertaken to the Australian community to establish, I think, 36 of these across the nation as part of an overall 5-year program. I understand we have nine of these centres up and running partly or fully across Australia now. We have contracts signed on a large number of additional ones, including the one, I understand, signed here yesterday with the Bundaberg Superclinic.
Look, I think everyone would like these things to happen earlier, but if you put things out to a tender process and you take all the offers, expressions of interest in, and these are considered independently, you've got to make the right decisions. Sometimes that takes longer than you would like, but I'm really pleased that this decision's been taken. I'm very pleased that the contract's been signed here in Bundaberg. I'm very pleased, more importantly, that what this will mean is, in consultation with local GPs who are apparently here at present in Bundaberg that you will have a GP Superclinic operating between 8 and 8, Monday to Friday, between 8 and 12 on Saturday and Sunday, which in my bitter experience as a father is when our kids tend to have accidents when they're out playing one form of sport or another.
Why is it that our kids refuse to only get sick between 9 and 5, Monday to Friday? It's a deep international conspiracy among children, but you know something? That's what happens.
So, what are we trying to do? Expand those services for families out there in the community, GP-related services, allied health services as well, so there is less pressure on the accident and emergency department here at Bundaberg Base Hospital. That's why, and I think that is a critical thing, good for parents, good for the hospital, good in terms of the best use of the taxpayers' dollar.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister Rudd, how is the GP Superclinic supposed to address needs of the Indigenous and low-income (inaudible).
PM: Well, this GP Superclinic, I'm unfamiliar with the actual nature of the contractual arrangements with the local consortium, but the doors, when it comes to the provision of primary healthcare services, are open to all who need care.
[Door slams]
That door just shut. Let me say that again. It's a very, sort of, sound and light press conference we're having here today. Where's the music gone?
So, the doors of health care services must be open to all Australians, and the sort of Australia we want to build for the future, it doesn't matter where you come from, whether you're rich or poor, what part of the country you happen to live in, that you have access to decent, quality health care. That applies to all Australians.
JOURNALIST: Um, the clinic won't be mostly bulk billed, though, as I understand, it's only going to be for people with concession cards, so all (inaudible)
PM: On the details of that, I'll ask the Health Minister, Nicola Roxon to come and speak to you separately on that. I think it's an area where I would be reluctant to get into detailed commentary, which is the local billing arrangements of each of the 36 GP Superclinics who are operating at different locations around the country.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: Sorry, say that again?
JOURNALIST: Is the clinic a compromise for (inaudible)
PM: Not that I'm aware of. Can I just say it's about time to be positive about all this? What's happening? A GP Superclinic involving a multi-million dollar investment here in Bundaberg is about to happen. It didn't exist before. It's going to exist. It's going to provide services beyond the normal hours. I would think that for working families here this would actually be a really good addition to the delivery of local healthcare services.
As I said, everyone, in a perfect world, would like everything to happen perfectly. I'm sure in all of the organisations that you represent here today and the companies that you represent, that rarely happens as well. Business of government is no different.
JOURNALIST: Mr Rudd, you mentioned John Brumby stands against your health reform previously. He's been highly critical of your plan. Why do you think you haven't been able to convince him of those reforms?
PM: Well, that, of course, is a matter of continuing discussion. I would welcome any continuing discussion with the Premiers, the Chief Ministers, from all the states, as I said, Labor and Liberal, large and small states, to bring about better health, better hospitals for working Australians. I look forward to continuing discussions with John, and I'm sure he would recognise, as well, that his hospital system has real problems, like those elsewhere in the country, but I think it comes down to this - working families want better hospitals. Working families in Victoria also want better hospitals, and I would call upon John, as I would call upon Tony Abbott, to work with the Government to deliver long-term, lasting health and hospitals reform for working families.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) and that your plan would lead to more bureaucracy. What's your response to that?
PM: Well, on the question of investment in the system, could I just draw everyone's attention to this - that under the existing Australian Healthcare Agreement, which only began last year, we are providing an additional $5.1 billion in investment to Victoria, and under the new National Health and Hospitals Network we'd be providing a further $3.8 billion to Victoria. That comes to something like $9 billion worth of additional investment to the Victorian health system. I think that's a good start, of course there's more to do.
On the second question that you raised, can I say this - what we are proposing to do is in fact cut out a level of bureaucracy by funding local hospital networks direct. Many of the Premiers have said 'please, just send the money in a cheque to us. We'll look after it.' Can I say, when I go to the local health networks and hospital networks of Australia, they often have a different view, and that is they would actually much rather to be funded directly, so on the question you raise, in fact, we are funding, nationally, directly, to local hospital networks, rather than providing a blank cheque to another level of bureaucracy.
JOURNALIST: Are you prepared to give more time to Premiers to sort out the nuts and bolts of your plan, or are you expecting an agreement at the next COAG meeting?
PM: I believe we've got a once in a generation opportunity at this meeting of the Council of Australian Governments to get health and hospitals reform right for working families right across Australia. I've said already, it takes more than a day we'll take the second day. It's important that we get agreement on this.
I am absolutely determined that we deliver better health and better hospital services for Australians. They want more hospital beds, more doctors, more nurses, and you know something? We've got to do that through a system which is able to be funded long term.
Let me just conclude on this when it comes to health and hospitals - the cold fact is that the Australian Government, for the first time, will become the dominant funder of the public hospital system of Australia and all of its 764 hospitals, and the reason we are doing that is because the states and territories, over the next 10 to 20 to 30 years, cannot afford to support, financially, the health and hospital system.
If we do not make this change, over the next 20 to 30 years the state governments' entire budgets will be consumed by health and hospitals alone. That is why we are making this change, and that's why I think it's a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do so.
JOURNALIST: Do think it's going to - sorry - I was going to say, do you think it's going to come down to a referendum?
PM: I believe in trying to get a negotiated outcome. I'm a reasonable sort of guy on these sort of questions. Let's sit down, sort it out, find our way through, but our plan's pretty clear and we've spent a long time developing it, which is why, for example, national bodies like the AMA, the Royal College of Surgeons, the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of General Practitioners and other professional bodies, the Australian Health and Hospitals Association and others, have all supported the Government's plan.
Let's be very clear about this - others have expressed reservations, but you know something? We think the time is right to bring about what would be the biggest reform to the Australian health and hospital system since the introduction of Medicare.
Let me just conclude by making a comment in addition to statements made by a number of my ministerial colleagues in Canberra today in relation to people smuggling. The Australian Government today has announced that we are introducing an immediate suspension of the processing of new asylum applications from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. This suspension has been made as a result of the changing circumstances in those two countries. We have monitored the changing international circumstances, and we have taken action in response to those changing circumstances.
The combined effect of this suspension and the changing circumstances in these two countries will mean that more asylum seekers from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan will be refused. The Government's view is simple - if someone's claim for asylum is not legitimate, they'll be sent home. I say it again - the Government's position is absolutely clear-cut: if someone's claim for asylum is not legitimate, they will be sent home, and today's announcement in relation to this suspension underlines that fact.
Australia, like other countries, will still have to deal with global push factors when it comes to movements of asylum seekers, movements of boats, as well as the challenge which is presented by people smuggling, but today's announcement is an important announcement.
Thanks very much, folks. Got to run.