Shorten caught out on health sector junket claims

It has been revealed that a senior ALP official and funds with union links were among the attendees at a Portugal conference.

Teachers Union Health chairman John Battams.

Bill Shorten’s attack on major health insurance funds for sending executives to an international conference in Portugal has fallen flat following revelations a senior ALP official and not-for-profit funds with union links were among the attendees.

The Opposition Leader yesterday attacked “big” health funds for participating in the four-day conference in Lisbon, where chief executives and board members were invited on a river cruise and dined at expensive restaurants. The Australian can reveal Queensland Labor president John Battams, who is chairman of the Teachers Union Health, was ­listed as a delegate and several ­attendees worked for funds connected to ­unions.

Under pressure following revelations in The Australian that he was preparing a retreat on his proposed 2 per cent cap on health insurance premium increases, Mr Shorten yesterday declared “big funds” could “get whatever they want” from the Turnbull government. “These big funds who get whatever they want from the federal government in the way of price increases get what they want from the government in the way of tax decreases — they’re all off in Lisbon having a great time on the fund members’ income and money, whilst they charge the big profits,” Mr Shorten said.

The list of attendees, obtained by The Australian from industry sources, shows there were delegates from restricted funds ­including Defence Health, Navy Health, Police Health and the Railway & Transport Health Fund. TUH and Teachers Health Fund cater exclusively for current or former union members and their families.

Liberal MP Luke Howarth, the member for the Queensland seat of Petrie, accused Mr Shorten of hypocrisy, saying he had been “caught out bagging businesses” while his “union mates quietly go along for the ride”.

“Mr Shorten conveniently failed to mention that the ALP Queensland president attended this knees-up in Lisbon,” he said. “If Mr Shorten really thinks the trip was a bad idea, he should condemn the attendance of his own party’s (state) president.”

Neither Mr Battams nor TUH responded to questions about the conference. Mr Battams is a former president of the Queensland Council of Unions. He became ALP Queensland’s president in 2016.

The conference was held at the Four Seasons Hotel. Delegates were taken on a cruise of the Tagus River and had dinner at the riverside Sud Lisboa, which is home to a “panoramic” pool, two bars and a suspended garden terrace.

The Sunday Telegraph first reported on the weekend that health fund members paid $600,000 for 40 health fund chiefs to go on the all-expenses-paid trip.

Teachers Health, which sent four directors and CEO Brad Joyce, said attending such conferences allowed the fund to “learn from an international faculty of speakers and experts”. “Mr Joyce attended the conference for the educational ­elements only, and did not attend any social events associated with the conference or include any personal travel. Once the conference ended, Mr Joyce returned to Australia immediately,” a spokeswoman said.

“Teachers Health directors are not paid commercial remuneration and instead are offered ongoing professional development and training to ensure the currency of their technical knowledge as directors.”

Police Health chief executive Scott Williams, who attended with chairman Peter Shanahan, said the fund assessed opportunities like the conference “very carefully” to ensure they were in the best interests of members.

“This is the only international conference Police Health attend and is considered important due to the ability to learn about best practices globally in health, ­efficiency measures, innovation, new and emerging technologies,” he said.