Treasurer Joe Hockey has launched a blistering attack on Australian Medical Association president Brian Owler's "extreme" criticism of the prime minister, while defending a federal government decision to help fund a new medical school in Perth.
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But Tony Abbott stopped short of endorsing his treasurer's comments, stressing he had a great deal of respect for the doctors' body and instead responding to the specific policy concerns raised by Dr Owler.
Dr Owler told Fairfax Media the decision to fund the medical school a "calamitous captain's call" because the AMA believed the country already had too many medical schools pumping out graduates who cannot find internships or specialist training places.
On Sunday, Mr Hockey said Western Australia had the fewest number of doctors per capita of any state in Australia and that the school would focus on training doctors for areas with medical representation.
But Mr Hockey said those comments were "certainly not fitting for someone representing a great profession. Quite frankly, I think his comments were out of order".
"I think the broader medical profession would not take the view of Brian Owler. Frankly, given that Western Australia does have the fewest number of doctors," he said.
After the first federal budget was handed down, the federal government was at war with the AMA for much of last year over the proposed $7 GP co-payment - which was eventually dropped.
In contrast, Mr Abbott said he always took the AMA seriously, "I have a great deal of respect for the AMA, I worked very closely with the AMA when I was the health minister between 2003 and 2007".
Mr Abbott said the federal government had sought guarantees from the West Australian government that clinical training places would be provided.
"I'm confident that long before these additional students are coming in to the system as graduates, we will have a much stronger clinical training system in the west."
Labor treasury spokesman Chris Bowen said Dr Owler was a respected medical professional and that Mr Hockey, who has a "glass jaw", should apologise to the AMA chief.
"If Dr Owler, as head of the AMA doesn't agree with the government, he has a job to do and he is entitled to do it," he said.
James Lawler, president of the Australian Medical Students' Association, says his organisation sought Health Minister Sussan Ley's views on the proposal about a month ago.
"She told us that she didn't believe we needed a new medical school and there wouldn't be funding for that in the budget. But all of a sudden Tony Abbott's flying to WA to announce it," he said.
- with Adam Gartrell
