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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Q&A: Fiona Nash agrees to drop private health cover while rural health minister | Q&A: Fiona Nash agrees to drop private health cover while rural health minister |
| (7 months later) | |
| The minister for rural health, Fiona Nash, has said she would be willing to drop her private health insurance cover in response to a viewer question on the ABC’s Q&A program about whether politicians should be banned from bypassing the public system. | The minister for rural health, Fiona Nash, has said she would be willing to drop her private health insurance cover in response to a viewer question on the ABC’s Q&A program about whether politicians should be banned from bypassing the public system. |
| Q&A audience member Tina Harris challenged members of parliament to ditch their private health cover while in office because “nothing will get done whilst our politicians are able to bypass the mess of public hospitals and go to wonderful private hospitals for their own health treatment”. | Q&A audience member Tina Harris challenged members of parliament to ditch their private health cover while in office because “nothing will get done whilst our politicians are able to bypass the mess of public hospitals and go to wonderful private hospitals for their own health treatment”. |
| Harris complained the public health system was broken, with waiting lists of three years and filthy wards and toilets, citing her own experience of five years’ of hospitalisations and surgeries after a car accident. | Harris complained the public health system was broken, with waiting lists of three years and filthy wards and toilets, citing her own experience of five years’ of hospitalisations and surgeries after a car accident. |
| In some parts of the country, private hospitals aren't even an option, says @SenatorNash #QandA https://t.co/xBSLbQqTb4 | In some parts of the country, private hospitals aren't even an option, says @SenatorNash #QandA https://t.co/xBSLbQqTb4 |
| Nash replied that, yes, she would agree to go off private insurance. After clarification from host Tony Jones, Nash added her affirmative answer was “about if [Harris] wants me to go off private health insurance while I’m in parliament, sure”. | Nash replied that, yes, she would agree to go off private insurance. After clarification from host Tony Jones, Nash added her affirmative answer was “about if [Harris] wants me to go off private health insurance while I’m in parliament, sure”. |
| The minister explained public hospitals in rural and regional areas were “by and large fantastic” and private hospitals “are not really an option” in rural areas. | The minister explained public hospitals in rural and regional areas were “by and large fantastic” and private hospitals “are not really an option” in rural areas. |
| Monday night’s Q&A was hosted in Melbourne’s Docklands. Nash was joined on the panel by Labor’s health spokeswoman, Catherine King, the secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Dave Oliver, industrial relations commentator Grace Collier and broadcaster Neil Mitchell. | Monday night’s Q&A was hosted in Melbourne’s Docklands. Nash was joined on the panel by Labor’s health spokeswoman, Catherine King, the secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Dave Oliver, industrial relations commentator Grace Collier and broadcaster Neil Mitchell. |
| King said she used the public hospital system when she gave birth but did not directly answer whether she would be prepared to drop her private cover, instead choosing to focus on the government’s decision to cut $57bn from projected health spending in the 2014-15 budget. | King said she used the public hospital system when she gave birth but did not directly answer whether she would be prepared to drop her private cover, instead choosing to focus on the government’s decision to cut $57bn from projected health spending in the 2014-15 budget. |
| In response to the program’s first question, Nash said the government was still considering tax reform including the prospect of an increase to the goods and services tax. | In response to the program’s first question, Nash said the government was still considering tax reform including the prospect of an increase to the goods and services tax. |
| Nash and King agreed that 267 asylum seekers in Australia seeking medical treatment should be dealt with compassionately on a case-by-case basis. But King said they should be returned to Nauru pending an agreement to resettle them in a third country and Nash said she “would not give an indication” that any would be allowed to stay in Australia. | Nash and King agreed that 267 asylum seekers in Australia seeking medical treatment should be dealt with compassionately on a case-by-case basis. But King said they should be returned to Nauru pending an agreement to resettle them in a third country and Nash said she “would not give an indication” that any would be allowed to stay in Australia. |
| Mitchell labeled Victorian premier Daniel Andrews’ offer to support and house the 267 asylum seekers in Victoria as a stunt which “can’t and won’t happen”. | Mitchell labeled Victorian premier Daniel Andrews’ offer to support and house the 267 asylum seekers in Victoria as a stunt which “can’t and won’t happen”. |
| Collier called for unions to be subject to the same governance standards as corporations and for financial transactions between unions and employers to be banned. Citing payments from major builders to the Australian Workers Union uncovered by the trade union royal commission, Collier said companies recruited for unions or gave them cash during enterprise bargaining negotiations. | Collier called for unions to be subject to the same governance standards as corporations and for financial transactions between unions and employers to be banned. Citing payments from major builders to the Australian Workers Union uncovered by the trade union royal commission, Collier said companies recruited for unions or gave them cash during enterprise bargaining negotiations. |
| Oliver agreed union transactions should be transparent but would not rule out “joint work with employers” including on training and skills. Oliver defended Sunday penalty rates, arguing that Australians valued their weekends as 70% of the workforce still worked Monday to Friday. | Oliver agreed union transactions should be transparent but would not rule out “joint work with employers” including on training and skills. Oliver defended Sunday penalty rates, arguing that Australians valued their weekends as 70% of the workforce still worked Monday to Friday. |