Jodie Campbell (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Will the minister explain why it is important to pass the Medicare levy surcharge threshold changes?

Nicola Roxon (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am pleased to do that for the member for Bass because we know on this side of that House that this measure will provide tax relief to nearly half a million Australians, and unfortunately the opposition does not see fit to, at this stage, support that tax relief. We have a new Leader of the Opposition and he announced yesterday:

I know what it is like to be very short of money … I know Australians are doing it tough and some Australians, even in the years of greatest prosperity, will always do it tough.

Now he has the opportunity to put some substance behind that commitment and he could, if he chose to, direct his senators to vote for tax relief that would assist nearly half a million Australians who indeed are doing it tough. The new Leader of the Opposition has a chance to nail his colours to the mast. If he understands that some people are short of money and doing it tough, this is an opportunity for him to provide tax relief immediately to nearly half a million Australians. And, particularly for the benefit of the new Leader of the Opposition, I want to read out an email—one of many that have been sent to those of us on this side of the House and, I am sure, to some on the other side of the House—from one couple who said:

I am writing to you to thank you for increasing the threshold on the Medicare levy surcharge. As you are aware, this threshold has been set for many years, not taking into account the rising cost of living. For the first time in 12 years we have a government that is looking after working-class families and does not seem intent on punishing us for not being able to afford a higher standard of living. I had to wait for two years to get surgery and still cannot afford to go to the dentist. We are not choosing to not have private health insurance; we simply cannot afford it.

I say to the new Leader of the Opposition, after nine interviews yesterday that were all about this man sitting over here, there are half a million Australians who would actually like to know whether he is prepared to provide tax relief to those families. For average income families, many families, it is $1,000 or $1,200 that could go into their pockets straightaway, and the opposition is blocking this move in the Senate. It is a chance for the new Leader of the Opposition, instead of talking about himself, to tell those people what he will do to provide tax relief to them.