Tony Abbott’s repeated attempts to blame everyone else for his GP Tax and medicine price hikes can’t hide the fact he lied to voters.
Before the election Tony Abbot repeatedly promised voters his would be a “no surprises and no excuses” government with “no new taxes” and “no cuts to health”.
Yet, in his very first Budget he surprised voters with a $7 GP Tax, hikes in medicine prices and $57 billion in cuts to hospitals.
When did the Prime Minister tell GPs like the doctor whose elderly patients with skin tears need to have their wounds dressed twice a week that he would have to collect a tax from patients like these?
When did the Prime Minister tell the disability support pensioner who requires multiple medications and fortnightly GP visits to treat her chronic conditions and leukaemia he planned to make it more expensive for her to visit the doctor and pay for medicines?
Instead of excuses, it’s time the Prime Minister delivered on his election promises by abandoning his GP Tax and price hikes on essential medicines.
Taxing sick Australians will only stop them seeing a doctor, or drive them into public hospital emergency departments.
It is bad for patients, bad for health care, and especially bad for state hospital budgets.