Mr GAVAN O'CONNOR (10:38 AM) —The Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Adjustment of Certain FTB Child Rates) Bill 2004 that the government has before the House will be supported by the opposition. We have heard in this debate some excellent arguments on both sides of the House on this particular matter of health. We on this side of the House have a very long history of involvement in this particular area. Labor was the architect of the great universal public health scheme that gives every Australian, by right, access to quality health care in this country. Sadly, under conservative governments down through the eons the public health system has been run down—and the Howard government is no exception in that respect. Yes, we do see a place for private health insurance in the provision of health care for Australians, but it ought not to be at the expense of the public health system in this country.

I will not speak for too long on this particular bill because many of the arguments that I would make in this debate have been covered by other speakers and no doubt will be covered by the member for Gorton when he enters the debate. But, suffice to say, on the issue of health care Labor has form both in government and in opposition. We have seen the chaos created in the past by conservative governments in power. On this occasion we do intend to support this particular measure, but I think the Australian electorate has it right: Labor in government and in opposition has always put the health of Australians front and square in the policies that it has put before them.