Senator the Hon Mathias Cormann

MATHIAS CORMANN: The Court of Disputed Returns has decided to void last year’s Western Australian Senate Election result. So there will be another election for the Senate in Western Australia.

The Liberal Party has a strong and experienced team, which will deliver for Western Australia.

Only the Liberal Party is committed to scrap the anti-WA carbon tax, to scrap the anti-WA mining tax.

People across Western Australia face a clear choice between the Liberal Senate team, which will scrap these anti-WA taxes or vote for Labor and the minor parties which want to keep them.

The carbon tax is a tax on jobs. It is a tax on electricity. It is a tax on gas. It is a tax on every single household, on every single business across Western Australia and indeed across Australia.

The Liberal Senate team will scrap it.

The mining tax is a tax on jobs, in particular in Western Australia. The Liberal Senate team from Western Australia will vote to scrap it.

Since the election, our government has worked hard to repair the damage inflicted by Labor to our borders and to our economy.

We have a plan to build a stronger economy, to create jobs, to repair the Budget.

We need a strong and effective Senate team from Western Australia. Only the Liberal Party Senate team will deliver for Western Australia.

Happy to take any questions.

JOURNALIST: Senator will the Government be winding back Medicare for those who can afford it?

MATHIAS CORMANN: Well as the Prime Minister said earlier today our Government will be the best friend that Medicare has ever had.

JOURNALIST: And what is wrong with Medicare as it is now? And what changes need to be made?

MATHIAS CORMANN: We should always across the whole of government make sure that we do things in the best, most efficient way, delivering the best possible outcomes for people right across Australia. That is what our Government is doing and will continue to do.

JOURNALIST: What measure will you use to determine whether someone should be paying for their own healthcare?

MATHIAS CORMANN: As I have just said and the Prime Minister earlier today was very clear that our government is and will be the best friend that Medicare has ever had.

JOURNALIST: You have just said that the Prime Minister says ‘Medicare is his best friend,’ how is this consistent with Peter Dutton foreshadowing higher costs for sick people?

MATHIAS CORMANN: I don't agree with, I don’t accept that characterisation.

JOURNALIST: How many seats do you think you will win in the Senate poll?

MATHIAS CORMANN: We have a very strong and very experienced Liberal Party Senate team from Western Australia. It is of course led by the Defence Minister, Senator David Johnston. We have Senator Michaelia Cash, the Assistant Minister for Border Protection and also Linda Reynolds, an outstanding candidate who was successful at the election back in September and who will make an outstanding contribution, who will help deliver a fair share for Western Australia if she is successful at the upcoming election.

Thank you very much.