Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise again today to talk about our ongoing battle on this side of the House to save Medicare. Of course, we have seen the continued attack by the Liberal government on our universal health-care system and particularly on the institution of Medicare. It was not that long ago that the Liberals attempted to bring in the unpopular $7 GP co-payment, otherwise known as the $7 GP tax. Labor stood strong against this, along with the community, sending a clear message that we would defend our universal health-care system.

But of course, when the Liberal Party could not get away with that, they then brought in the GP tax by stealth by freezing the Medicare rebate levels. This is having a significant impact on bulk-billing in the community. We have seen the eroding of the ability to access bulk-billing and the eroding of our universal health-care system. I will continue to fight against this, as I know many of my constituents in my electorate will.

This has been raised time and time again because of the impacts it is going to have. My electorate is not a wealthy electorate. It is one where every dollar in the pocket counts. If parents and older Australians are having to fork out for every visit when they have to go to a doctor, this is going to have an impact on their quality of life. As I have said many times in this place, it will be those who simply cannot afford it who do not go to the doctor and then have an illness or health condition get worse and worse until it becomes a chronic problem. That is not the type of health-care system we want to see in Australia.

I have had thousands of constituents sign my petitions against this really unfair freeze to the Medicare rebate and the resulting increase in costs. My constituents have said many, many things, but I think one of my constituents from Reynella sums it up: 'It will hurt those who can least afford it and destroy the concept of universal health care.'

But it is not just constituents raising this issue. Doctors and GPs alike have raised it as well. Kate, a GP registrar from the southern suburbs, explains: 'I work in a relatively low SES area with 80 to 90 per cent pensioners and health card holders. We elect not to charge a gap for low-income people, but, if the Medicare freeze remains, we will be unable to pay staff and rising costs, and we will have to keep charging to keep running.' This is a serious attack on our universal health-care system. It is time that the Liberal Party stopped this attack and recognised that Medicare is an important institution.