CANBERRA, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The opposition Australian Labor Party (ALP) has pledged to spend 2.3 billion Australian dollars (1.6 billion U.S. dollars) to slash medical bills for cancer patients if victorious in May's general election.

ALP leader Bill Shorten on Thursday night delivered his budget reply speech, announcing that the party will fund six million free cancer scans, three million specialist consults and would add every proven cancer drug to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

He said that the changes, which would save the 145,000 Australians diagnosed with cancer every year thousands of dollars, represented the biggest investment in Medicare, Australia's publicly-funded universal health care system, since it was introduced in 1984.

According to figures cited by Shorten, the average breast cancer patient spends 10,000 Australian dollars (7,110 U.S. dollars) on treatment for two years for scans and tests while those with men with prostate cancer spend 18,000 Australian dollars (12,799 U.S. dollars).

"One in two of us will be diagnosed with cancer at some stage in our life," he said.

"For so many people, cancer makes you sick and then paying for the treatment makes you poor.

"A lot of Australians would be surprised to learn that all those vital scans and tests and consultations with specialists aren't fully covered by Medicare.

"If I am elected Prime Minister, I'm going to make sure the health care system is there for you when you need it most."

Shorten announced his support for the first stage of the tax cuts worth 158 billion Australian dollars (112.3 billion U.S. dollars) announced by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in his budget on Tuesday night but said he rejected stages two and three.

Under his alternative plan, the ALP will provide greater tax relief for the 3.6 million Australian workers earning up to 48,000 Australian dollars (34,132 U.S. dollars).

Frydenberg's plan would instead offer tax relief to all Australians earning up to 126,000 Australian dollars (89,598 U.S. dollars) per year.

Responding to the speech on Friday morning, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that Labor was seeking to divide Australian society.

Shorten's budget reply signalled the end of the 45th Parliament of Australia, with Morrison expected to call a general election for mid-May recently.

Tuesday's budget and Thursday's reply were used by the governing Liberal-National Party Coalition (LNP) and ALP as a foundation from which they will launch their election campaigns.

Morrison and the LNP are expected to campaign on a message of economic stability while the ALP will focus on increasing spending on infrastructure, education and health. Enditem

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