Big Greens move ramps up pressure on Labor
Written by admin on October 2, 2024
The Greens are vowing to push major healthcare reforms into any parliamentary negotiations after next year’s election, banking on Labor being forced to form a minority government.
Greens leader Adam Bandt on Thursday will unveil his party’s ambitious plan to make visits to the GP and other primary healthcare providers totally free while campaigning in the seat of Perth, where the party is trying topple Labor MP Patrick Gorman with candidate, Sophie Greer.
The plan would establish 1000 free clinics across the country, offering Australians access to a GP, dentist, registered nurse or psychologist at no out-of-pocket expense.
Costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office at $52bn over the next decade, the Greens say big business would foot the bill.
“One in three big corporations pays no tax,” Mr Bandt said.
“The Greens will make big corporations pay their fair share of tax so you can see the GP for free.”
He said that in a wealthy country like Australia “everyone should be able to get the healthcare they need, but more and more people are putting off health appointments because they can’t afford it.”
In addition to the clinics, the Greens’ plan aims to boost bulk-billed GP appointments at private practices by tripling the bulk-billing incentive for Medicare patients.
It would also bump up Medicare rebates by 20 per cent for patients who need longer appointments.
“The majority of adults with a Medicare card are unable to find a bulk-billing appointment like they used to,” Greens health spokesman Jordon Steele-John said.
“We’re seeing people skipping regular appointments, prioritising their kids’ appointments over their own health, or not following up test results because going to the doctor has become too expensive.
“This is exactly why we need to triple the bulk-billing incentive and establish free healthcare centres.”
Data released earlier this year found fewer than one in four general practices were offering bulk-billling to all patients.
With rising costs of living top-of-mind, government figures show Australians are increasingly skipping visits to the GP.
Polls have consistently put Labor and the Coalition neck and neck on a two-party preferred basis.
But primary support for Labor is dropping in Australia’s most populous states, with the latest Newspoll showing its primary vote has fallen to 30 per cent in NSW for the first time since 2013.
The poll showed a swing against the government that could unseat up to four federal MPs as disgruntled voters flirt with independents, fuelling expectations Labor will government in minority at the next election.
The Greens have already proven they can block the government’s agenda in the Senate, stalling the Help to Buy and Build to Rent bills last month.
Both bills are key to the Albanese government’s plan to tackle soaring housing costs across the country, but the Greens did not back them because, in their view, they did not go far enough.
With legislation increasingly held up in the constipated Upper House, a Labor minority government would certainly need to negotiate deeper with the crossbench to make any ground.
