Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Anthony Albanese promised Australians, 'All you need is your Medicare card, not your credit card,' and, 'You can see a GP for free under Labor.' He's made these promises more than 71 times, but already we have proof that this promise is just another Labor lie. The data shows that, under Anthony Albanese, not only do Australians need their credit card as well as their Medicare card when they go to the reception desk when they see their family doctor but their credit cards are being charged the highest amount of out-of-pocket costs—a record amount—at an average of $50 every time they see their family doctor. Officials from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing have told us that out-of-pocket costs will continue to rise. They have even admitted that Australians will not feel any benefit from Labor's bulk-billing measures for four years, after the next election—quite convenient, really.

From media reports, we now know that only 13 per cent of metropolitan GP clinics have signed up for Labor's new program. That means millions of Australians will still have to get their credit cards out every time they go to see their family doctor. But it's no surprise that very few GP practices are taking up Labor's policy, because GP practices are largely small, family run businesses struggling with skyrocketing energy prices, rising rents, increasing mortgage and insurance costs and the growing cost of doing business under Labor, like most small businesses across the country are.

What's Labor's solution to this problem? It is to say, 'We'll intervene in the market if clinics cannot afford to sign up to our new program.' They've even left on the table the possibility that they will include the compulsory acquisition of your family practice. So, instead of supporting small family practices to deliver affordable, quality health care, they're threatening them with potential closure. This is what happens when the government uses Medicare as a plaything. It proves you just can't trust Labor on Medicare.