Grassroots campaign has helped make Medicare the election focus
by defendmedicare.info Wednesday October 06, 2004 at 12:54 AM

The Labor Party's election campaign was looking healthy this week as the Coalition failed to undermine Latham's Medicare Gold policy. It is hard for John Howard and Tony Abbott to be convincing when further evidence of lies and deception continues to emerge. Why did Mr Abbott find it hard to tell the truth about his little chat with Cardinal Pell? The Liberal's did not want health as a major focus of this election campaign. It has never been their strong point. That health dominated the election news this week is evidence of how John Howard's grip on the election is slipping. And testament to the grassroots and community activists who have pursued the Medicare issue in recent years.

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Medicare Gold

Labor Leader Mark Latham and Shadow Health Minister Julia Guillard have spent the last week defending the Medicare Gold policy from the attacks of the Prime Minister and Health Minister Tony Abbott. Medicare Gold was developed by Catholic Health over several years and was originally offered to Tony Abbott as well as the Labor Party. Francis Sullivan from Catholic Health was reported on news.com.au:

"The Government has had our document since August. (Tony Abbott) said it was interesting, he knew I was discussing it with the policy people inside the Government. They thought the concept was at least worth a really hard look at."

The Medicare Gold policy extension to Medicare continues to gain support in the health sector, including from Private hospitals, Professor John Deeble, the Democrats and the Greens.

Health Minister Abbott shown to be a liar on National TV

On ABC radio Tony Abbott denied having approved of Medicare Gold concept. On ABC TV Lateline program he said Voters won't buy Medicare Gold. He subsequently was shown to be a liar on national television with regard to a meeting he had ten days previously with conservative Archbishop Pell. Latham said Abbott needs to go to confession for the dishonesty over Pell meeting.

Cheaper Medicines plan

Labor Party has also announced a cheaper medicines plan costing $700 million to reduce the cost of prescription medicines by 60 cents for pensioners and concession card holders. Tony Abbott demonstrated more Government hypocrisy on the PBS by a adopting a 12-and-a-half per cent mandated price cut for generic drugs, similar to a proposal by the Labor Party in June.

The Labor Party continues to push its health, hospital promises, and put its Medicare Gold cards on table.

Medicare Gold under Scrutiny

Econtech, an economic forecaster, released a report finding $2b black hole in Medicare Gold costings. The report was commissioned by the Australian Health Insurance Association. The Prime Minister alleged there was a $5 billion hole in Medicare Gold. In reply Labor health spokeswoman Julia Gillard on ABC Radio said the Opposition's figures stacked up and have been submitted to Treasury for costing.

Health Minister Tony Abbott said Econtech was a respected analyst and its figures could not be ignored. However Australian National University health economist John Deeble said the report had doubled up its counting to reach the conclusion that Medicare Gold would blow out by at least $2.5 billion a year. "It is shonky. It gets to a conclusion by sliding from one assumption to another." Mark Latham rejected the Econtech report saying money exists for Gold plan, and there were major errors in the reports assumptions.

A further report by Access Economics commissioned by the AMA has found that the Health deal for over-75s may be 'flawed'. Labor has defended Medicare Gold's costings, with Mark Latham saying the Doctors' report is rubbish. The conservative Australian Medical Association says Medicare Gold will put pressure on the health system while Julia Gillard maintains that Medicare Gold is sustainable. Access Economics has not publically commented on the authorship of the report. Mark Latham described the report on ABC Radio program PM:

"I'm saying that this is not economics, it's Politics 101. It's not even very good at that. It's a politically motivated document. I've spoken to Access Economics, and they've assured me they weren't asked to do any work on our costings, and I think, given the low level attempt here by the AMA to trump up this material, it's an absolute joke."

Health dominant election issue

Health is the battleground for this election, closely followed by questions on the honesty and integrity of the Howard Government. Health is not normally the subject of community action in an election. All the more surprising when Doctors targeted the Prime Minister over Medicare. The ACTU in Queensland joined health workers to support Medicare. In NSW Nurses, Doctors And Health Professionals In Final Election Push For Medicare.

On October 4th the 8th Defend and Extend Medicare rally was held in Melbourne. About a hundred people listened to Julia Guillard, Shadow Health Minister, Senator Lyn Allison from the Democrats, Senator Kerry Nettle from the Greens, Leigh Hubbard from the Victorian Trades and Labour Council, Rod Wilson, Convenor of the Medicare Action Group, Tim Woodruff of the Doctors' Reform Society, and lastly Dr Joe Toscano from the community group Defend and Extend Medicare. The Health Minister, Tony Abbott, declined to attend and face questions from the community.

Mark Metherill in the Sydney Morning Herald writes that neither major party has prioritised indigenous and the poorest Australians: society's sickest miss out in the grab for votes.

defendmedicare.info

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