Mr BEAZLEY —My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, is it correct that $1.5 billion a year would be enough to treat 275,000 extra patients in our public hospitals, reinstate the Commonwealth Dental Health Program and buy private health insurance for the 500,000 extra people you claim will benefit from your subsidy? How can you justify spending $1.5 billion on your rebate for 33 per cent of the population when the same money could produce far better health results for the whole community?

Mr HOWARD (Prime Minister) —I will tell the Leader of the Opposition what is true. What is true is that we won the last election with a policy of giving a 30 per cent rebate for private health insurance. What is true is that you campaigned against that rebate in the last election and you lost. What is true is that there are 12 more coalition members in this parliament than there are opposition members.

Mr Beazley —Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order, and it goes to relevance. I was asking a series of questions about the people who would benefit if you spent the $1.5 billion sensibly, and all we get back is the usual supercilious arrogance.

Mr SPEAKER —The Leader of the Opposition has made his point. The Prime Minister has not as yet spent as much time answering the question as was spent asking it, so I was quite prepared to allow the Prime Minister to continue at this stage. I call the Prime Minister.

Mr HOWARD —What is true is that the coalition supports private health insurance; Labor opposes it. What is true is that in the electorate of Bass there are 24,692 people with private health insurance. What is true is that in the electorate of Dickson there are 30,275 people with private health insurance. What is true is that in the electorate of Stirling there are 58,555 people with private health insurance. What is true is that we intend to give effect to the verdict of the Australian people. And what is true is that you are deaf to the wishes of the Australian people, and that is why you are in opposition.