Senator McGAURAN (4.52 p.m.) —I rise to support my colleagues Senator Newman and Senator Herron in this urgency motion. I would have thought the Minister for Health, Senator Richardson, besides needing to be in the chamber for this important debate, would have been far more measured in his boast at question time that we have the best health system going, considering his most public embarrassment about and condemnation of the health system with regard to Aboriginal health. His parading on the national media hardly led the public of Australia to believe that the minister at least thought we have the best health system. Clearly, the minister was trying to get the message across that we do not.

  As a nation we may be able to do better, but it is startling to say the least that this government has just woken up to the fact that we have a problem with Aboriginal health services. Senator Richardson is trying to tell us that, after 11 years with the portfolio, the government has just woken up to this problem, as properly outlined by Senator Herron. Amongst Aborigines, infant mortality is 3 1/2 times higher than the average, female life expectancy is some 15 years fewer than the average, there are problems with sanitary living conditions and with the personnel needed to support this particular community. Moreover, there is concern about maladministration and about the resources being directed to and arriving for Aboriginal people's needs.

  I think it would have been far more helpful, if not worthy, for the minister to address this urgency motion directly during his contribution instead of, as Senator Herron properly outlined, merely delving into political irrelevancies, mentioning the Fremantle by-election and Mrs Bishop and attacking Senator Newman and the Leader of the Opposition, Dr Hewson.

  These matters are political irrelevancies. It was very easy for Senator Richardson to do that, but he failed to address in his responsible position one of the most basic and serious needs of Australian families. To that end, Australian families have every reason to be concerned about the upcoming May budget and what tax increases lie ahead for them, considering it has only been some nine months since the last budget was brought down with its new array of taxes visited upon Australian households. Not content with those tax increases which directly influence those households, the minister is now suggesting that in the May budget the Medicare levy should be increased from 1.4 per cent to two per cent—a 40 per cent increase.

  Senator Richardson has set this issue running. If it were not for the string of by-elections we are now facing, it would be all but policy in the May budget. However, with the array of by-elections before us, the Prime Minister (Mr Keating) has felt somewhat obliged to deny such an increase. As unconvincing as it is, it has set the stage for an increase in the Medicare levy. That is nothing short of another slug for the Australian people. It is a regressive tax upon the lower and middle income families of Australia. Simply notching up the Medicare levy to meet the country's health crisis is no solution.

  Senator Zakharov interjecting—

Senator McGAURAN —Senator Zakharov interrupts me. I have to pick up something that Senator Zakharov tried to sell this chamber. She said that she has toured country Victoria and knows the health concerns of country Victoria. I challenge Senator Zakharov to tell us the last time she was in country Victoria and who accepted her in country Victoria. Take it from me—a Victorian National Party senator—that her name is not known, that she is not seen and nor does she care about the concerns of country people in Victoria.

  Our problems go deeper than simply proposing a new tax to fund our health system. We have to produce a policy framework for this nation's long-term and immediate health problems. Senator Richardson has many critics of any proposal he has put before cabinet and out in society to restructure the health care system. He has the AHA and the Australian Private Hospitals Association on his back. This senator is taking on all the connotations of being the Hillary Clinton of Australia.