Page 3289 - Week 12 - Thursday, 19 November 1992
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The health system under a Liberal government, whether State or Federal, will be overhauled. Medicare will be retained, but it will be improved. I repeat that: Medicare will be retained, but it will be improved. The Medicare levy under Fightback will stay at 1.25 per cent. Health services, prescription medicines, and a range of health-related products will be zero rated for GST purposes. Together with the abolition of fuel excise and payroll tax, this should see the cost of the provision of health services fall, not rise. Individuals will be encouraged to take out private health insurance by the provision of tax credits for pensioners and low to middle income earners and a Medicare levy surcharge for high income earners.
Mr Berry: The seven dodgy taxes.
MR DE DOMENICO: I will repeat it, Mr Berry: Individuals will be encouraged to take out private health insurance - - -
Mr Wood: They will not have any choice.
MR DE DOMENICO: - - - by the provision of tax credits for pensioners - that is the social justice and all that sort of thing that you wax lyrical about - and low to middle income earners and a Medicare levy surcharge for high income earners.
Mr Berry: I bet you will not give tax deductions for it.
MR DE DOMENICO: Tax credits for private health insurance will range from $200 for a single person and $400 for a married couple, for those earning less than $12,000 a year, to $100 - - -
Mr Kaine: On a point of order, Madam Speaker: It was only a few minutes ago that members on the government side were in high dudgeon about interjections. They sound like feeding time at the zoo.
MADAM SPEAKER: I believe that most members are aware of the standing orders. I again remind members of those. Please continue, Mr De Domenico.
MR DE DOMENICO: I thank you, Madam Speaker, for your protection. An additional credit will apply for those over 65 who have private health insurance and earn less than $30,000 per year, so that they receive tax credits of $400 to $800 for a married couple and $200 to $400 for a single person. The additional credit will effectively provide to elderly Australians on low incomes the full cost of private health cover, entitling them to access to private beds and an escape from the long queues of public hospitals - 1,972 in the ACT; a 20 per cent increase on last year - and the doctor of their choice, while maintaining their access to Medicare. So, all this nonsense about the Liberal Party not agreeing to Medicare is just that - nonsense. There is no doubt that people are not surprised at hearing that from the lips of Mr Lamont.
Families with incomes over $50,000 who do not take out private health cover will have to pay a Medicare levy surcharge of $800. Singles with incomes over $40,000 who do not take out private health insurance will have to pay a Medicare levy surcharge of $400. Under the Fightback proposal, a remote area nursing scheme will be established, at a cost of $2m. So, under the Fightback policy, we will get more things than we have now. For Mr Lamont to stand up here without reading the document and pretend to quote from it is absolute and utter nonsense.
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