Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In September this year, I tabled a petition signed by 8,139 people to save universal health care. I spoke then of more 'Save Medicare' petitions coming in from concerned constituents. Today, I table these petitions, signed by a further 926 people—a grand total of 9,065 petitioners from the Scullin electorate. There is deep community concern, indeed outrage, in Scullin and right across Australia about the actions of this government. It is chiefly directed at this rotten GP tax. While the Prime Minister may glibly refer to the attempted destruction of Medicare as a 'barnacle', the Australian people rightly see this as an attack on the social compact in Australia—that, if you are sick, your bank balance will not determine whether or not you can afford assistance.

I note conflicting reports in the media today about the government's intentions with regard to the GP tax. This chaos shows how desperate and how divided this government are. They talk about talking points. But I say this to them: it is not the fact of talking points that matters; it is their quality—and theirs could be greatly improved. The Abbott government cannot get parliamentary or community support for its GP tax, so it now plans to introduce this tax through the back door by circumventing parliament. How contemptuous of the Australian people.

Labor will continue to fight the Abbott government's GP tax and its false claims about overservicing by doctors. Like the people of Scullin, we have our story straight. It is time this government did likewise and supported Australians through supporting this great Australian institution.

The petitions read as follows—