Dr WOOLDRIDGE (Minister for Health and Family Services)(6.05 p.m.) —The government will be opposing this suspension. This has been very thoroughly debated both here and in the Senate. I have some sympathy for the honourable member. It is a bit easier in government but not a lot, and I sympathise with him.

This is not something I particularly enjoy doing, but we had to make a lot of tough decisions last year with the financial position we found ourselves in after the election. Our principal concern was to see that we could get the budget back into surplus over this term, health had to play a part, and this was a direct consequence of the deficit. So, as it has already been substantially debated, both here and in the other place, I do not see any need to further debate it. We do not agree to the suspension.

Question resolved in the negative.