John Clarke, with Bryan Dawe, 7:30 Report, ABC Television

CLARKE: Doctor, it's Dr Wooldridge.

DAWE: Oh, I'm sorry.

CLARKE: I'm sorry, it's Dr Wooldridge.

DAWE: Dr Wooldridge, of course, yeah. Look, I wonder if I could ask you about the Government's health policy for the upcoming election.

CLARKE: Yes, indeed, yes indeed, you may.

DAWE: Yeah, so Mr Wooldridge …

CLARKE: Dr Wooldridge, it's Dr Wooldridge.

DAWE: Yes, I'm sorry. Dr Wooldridge.

CLARKE: I'm a doctor.

DAWE: Dr Wooldridge, some time ago, you resigned from Parliament so why are you now …

CLARKE: I did but, nevertheless, even though I have resigned, I am still the current Federal Health Minister in this country.

DAWE: Yes, but you're not going to be the health minister after the election.

CLARKE: No, I'm not, by all means, by I still am at the moment and I will be until the election and I personally formulated the bulk of the policy that the Government is putting forward in the area of health and, of course, that's what I'm trying to promulgate to the broader electorate.

DAWE: Michael Wooldridge …

CLARKE: Doctor, it's Dr Wooldridge, I'm a doctor.

DAWE: Dr Wooldridge. But Dr Wooldridge, you're not even going to be there any more, are you?

CLARKE: No but, as I say, I have personally, personally formulated the bulk of the policy.

DAWE: Yes, sure, but are you the best person to be putting forward that policy at the moment?

CLARKE: I believe I am, yes. That's why I'm doing it.

DAWE: Yeah, but you're offside with the public on health, you're offside with older people and you're even offside with the medical profession.

CLARKE: Just, on that last point, incidentally, can I tell you that I have never understood what Kerryn Phelps is talking about.

DAWE: No, hang on, sorry, excuse me, Dr Phelps.

CLARKE: I beg your pardon?

DAWE: Dr Phelps.

CLARKE: Dr Phelps, yeah, I've not understood why, what it is that Dr … I tell you something about Kerryn Phelps. I'll tell you something now.

DAWE: Dr Phelps.

CLARKE: Pardon?

DAWE: Dr Phelps.

CLARKE: Yeah, doctor, yeah, I tell you something about Dr Phelps. Dr Phelps would have been a lot better off to have spent more time on the concerns of her own members.

DAWE: Doctor members.

CLARKE: Who's Dr Members?

DAWE: No, no, no, no, the members of the AMA are doctor members.

CLARKE: Oh, they are doctors?

DAWE: Yes.

CLARKE: And members.

DAWE: Yes.

CLARKE: Yes, of course. That's your trouble. There's your trouble in a nutshell. If you ask me …

DAWE: Sorry, you think doctors are the problem?

CLARKE: Doctors and patients are the problem. With health?

DAWE: Doctors AND patients are the problem?

CLARKE: Yeah, have a look at history. If you take doctors and patients out of the health mix you have absolutely no problem at all with health.

DAWE: Well that's like taking teachers and students out of the education mix, I mean, you get the same result.

CLARKE: You do. We've done that. That's worked beautifully.

DAWE: Dr Wooldridge, thanks for your time.

CLARKE: Incidentally, just keep taking the tablets and come back and see me in a fortnight.

DAWE: I'm not taking tablets.

CLARKE: Well you should be son, look at your eyes.

Ends