'How are we supposed to believe you?' Angry cancer sufferer confronts Bill Shorten over his multi-billion-dollar plan to fight the deadly disease
- An angry cancer sufferer confronted Bill Shorten on the campaign trail Monday
- Rob Gibbs, 48, has spent close to $20,000 on his cancer treatment last year
- Labor is promising to put $2.3 billion into Medicare and cancer research
An angry cancer sufferer has confronted Bill Shorten over his multi-billion-dollar plan to fight the deadly disease while on the campaign trail in Melbourne on Monday.
Rob Gibbs, 48, has spent close to $20,000 on his cancer treatment for leukaemia
in the past year and he doesn't trust politicians.
He is sceptical of Labor leader Bill Shorten and his promise to make cancer scans and specialist visits cheaper would actually be delivered.
'You're always hearing them promise things. As soon as they get elected they forget about it,' Mr Gibbs told reporters at Casey Hospital in Victoria on Monday.
An angry cancer sufferer has confronted Bill Shorten (pictured together) over his multi-billion-dollar plan to fight the deadly disease while on the campaign trail on Monday
'My six-year-old girl, it's heartbreaking when she comes to visit me and she walks out the hallway and she starts crying, 'is dad going to come home ever?'''
Mr Gibbs, who has lost two toes and could lose his leg, was having a coffee at Casey Hospital when he spotted Mr Shorten speaking to the media.
'To me, what you're talking about is the exact reason why I'm running for prime minister,' Mr Shorten told Mr Gibbs.
'We are going to fund six million extra scans ... we're going to fund three million extra visits to the specialists.'
Share this article
Mr Gibbs was a Country Fire Authority volunteer for 12 years and doctors believe his cancer is linked to firefighting work.
He mistrusts politicians because Victorian Labor promised to cover volunteer firefighters who get certain types of cancer, but never passed the laws despite widespread support from all parties.
Mr Shorten promised to take it up with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, and pledged to follow up Mr Gibbs' case.
'I'm not going to promise you an outcome, I promise you though I'm never going to give up,' Mr Shorten said.
Mr Shorten (file picture with wife Chloe) promised to take it up with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, and pledged to follow up Mr Gibbs' case
Labor is promising to put an extra $2.3 billion into Medicare and cancer research to make cancer treatment cheaper.
Labor has been targeting Liberal seats in the first five days of the campaign, including Reid and Robertson in NSW, and Deakin in Victoria.
A truck carrying an anti-Labor slogan drove past the hospital several times before Mr Shorten addressed the media.
When the driver was asked who he was voting for he refused to comment and couldn't say where he was voting or if he was registered to vote in Australia.
He said he was being paid by a company to drive the truck and drove off before Mr Shorten spoke.
