Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Woven into the Liberal Party's healthcare DNA is a complete hatred of Medicare—complete hostility towards Medicare. The only thing that tops that is their fear of public affection for Medicare. In the 1975 federal election, we had Fraser committing to keeping Medibank; but, when he got in in 1978, he introduced Medicare part 3, which was—guess what? It was a co-payment of $20. In the 1980s, we had Howard calling Medicare a 'miserable, cruel fraud' and promising to 'pull it right apart'. That was his promise before the 1996 election—promised to keep it, hand on heart. Then he let bulk-billing fall to such low rates before the 2004 election, which he was going to lose, so he did a little fix on Medicare. Then we had Fightback! in the 1990s, when I joined the Labor Party. I remember Fightback! well. They committed, on page 7, to getting rid of bulk-billing for everybody but pensioners and concession card holders. So, woven into the Liberal Party's DNA is a hostility for Medicare.

We had Mr Abbott pledging in Real solutions not to do anything to Medicare. But what do we find once he is in government? We find an on-again, off-again, on-again, off-again GP tax—first of all $7, then $5—distressing doctors, distressing patients and distressing the community. And we know that it will be back.