The Treasurer's Inter-Generational Report

Stephen Smith - Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing

Radio Interview

Transcript - The World Today, ABC Radio - 16 April 2002

E&OE - PROOF ONLY

REPORTER: The Treasurer's zeal [for the inter-generational report] isn't rubbing off on the Shadow Minster for Health and Ageing, Stephen Smith, who says the report contains nothing new.

SMITH: If it's so exciting and significant he should release it today. The public policy challenges that are posed by an ageing population and new medical technology are neither a surprise nor new. My great concern is that Peter Costello is simply trying to use this report, which he's saying he'll release on budget day, as a distraction from crude cost cutting measures in the budget. They'll apply in the health area and they'll be crude cost cutting measures which are simply there to make up for the Government's mismanagement of its budget bottom line.

REPORTER: So what's the benefit to the government of talking up this inter-generational report now?

SMITH: Well I'm not surprised that the Treasurer would prefer people on Budget night to be thinking about 2042 rather than 2002.

I'm not surprised that on Budget night the Treasurer would be wanting people to look down the horizon while he's got his hand in their pocket. As we've seen, the speculation for crude Budget cost cutting measures will include a 30% hike on the cost of essential medicines for families under financial pressure and for pensioners. Costello's attempt to shore up his Budget bottom line will hit the sickest and the poorest in our community. And these crude measures are not driven by a long term view about health finances or health economics or health policies, they're driven to make up his Budget bottom line.