It was billed as the most important speech of his Prime Ministership yet Tony Abbott couldn’t find time for a single mention of health or Medicare.
It was a speech that confirmed, yet again, that when it comes to Health, Tony Abbott has no interest in listening to either the Australian people, or health experts and professionals.
Despite all the evidence that his GP Tax is bad for health, bad for the Budget and bad for patients, Tony Abbott remains committed to hitting patients with a tax for visiting the doctor.
Just today, new research in the Medical Journal of Australia confirmed there is no link between bulk-billing and so-called “six minute medicine”. It proves the Abbott Government’s assault on Medicare and bulk-billing is entirely ideological, and not driven by evidence.
This is humiliating and undeniable evidence that the Abbott Government’s GP Tax policy is bad health policy.
Today’s speech was about saving his own skin, not saving Australians from his unfair Budget.
Today’s speech confirmed Tony Abbott may have changed his Health Minister, but he hasn’t changed his determination to end bulk billing and destroy Medicare.
It’s still a tax, it’s still a broken promise and it will only ever rise as long as Tony Abbott remains in power.
Labor believes Australians should get the health care they need, not just what they can afford.
Only Labor will protect Medicare.
Labor built Medicare we won’t let Tony Abbott destroy it.
Only Labor will protect ordinary Australian families from Tony Abbott’s attempt to wreck Medicare and push up health costs for people already under financial pressure.