Dr NELSON —My question is directed to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs. Is the minister aware of media speculation about the future of the Lady Davidson hospital in North Turramurra, Sydney? Can the minister outline the government's intentions for this rehabilitation and palliative care centre of excellence? And, more generally, what steps has the government taken to ensure that veterans around Australia who require hospital care are provided with appropriate assistance on their departure from hospital?

Mr BRUCE SCOTT —I thank the member for his question and acknowledge his commitment to the health of the population in his former role as the President of the AMA. I want to answer the second part of the member's question first. Let me assure the honourable member that this government is fully committed to ensuring that the health services which veterans and their dependants receive are of the highest quality.

One aspect of hospital care that has been causing some concern, particularly among elderly veterans, is the services provided on their discharge from hospital—services which should be provided to ensure that veterans have the quickest and fullest recovery. To improve services offered to veterans on their discharge from hospital, the government has developed an education package for the veteran community and hospitals. The package provided to veterans emphasises the importance of veterans participating in their own discharge planning so that they understand what they can do and what they can ask others to do so that they enjoy a very smooth recuperation.

By the end of the month, all veterans will be receiving a copy of the information package designed especially for them. The common aim of this two-pronged approach is to ensure better discharge planning for the veteran community and to ensure as far as possible the good health of veterans.

On the first part of the question, I want to canvass the issue of the Lady Davidson hospital. As another element of our commitment to the health and wellbeing of the veteran community, we are currently considering the future of Lady Davidson Repatriation Hospital in Sydney. It is the last of the repatriation hospitals still operating under the Commonwealth government. A decision on its future, let me assure the House, will be based solely on determining the best way to deliver quality health care service to veterans and war widows. I have prepared an options paper which I am currently circulating to the ex-service community.

The government will not be rushed on this decision. We will not be taking the approach of the Labor health minister in New South Wales, Dr Refshauge, who disgracefully and wrongly used Anzac Day this year to scare the ex-service community when he said that the Commonwealth government was considering options which would increase health costs to veterans. Not only did he use Anzac Day to raise that issue but he was wrong when he said that he had done a deal with the previous Commonwealth government. He was wrong; he knows he was wrong. The previous government had not done a deal on the future of Lady Davidson hospital. There was no such agreement.

We will not be rushed into a decision on Lady Davidson hospital. Dr Refshauge ought to heed the advice of the New South Wales RSL president, Mr Rusty Priest. I will quote his comments from the newspaper:

My message to Dr Refshauge is to stop scaring the veterans and wait until the options are looked at.

It appears that it is not only Dr Refshauge who is scaring the veterans; it is the shadow minister over there, as the House was alerted to yesterday on the matter of sales tax. He has not come into the House yet and corrected the record. Quite clearly, the signature on that letter is, in fact, his signature. The government is committed to the health and wellbeing of the veteran community. We will not be rushed into a decision on Lady Davidson Repatriation Hospital; we will be discussing the issue with the ex-service community and we will make sure that the proper process is put in place.