PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Mr McCORMACK (Riverina) (17:46): The member for Parkes, representing that large western New South Wales seat, has just summed it up. This is not a saving; this is cost shifting. Truer words were never said.
This is cost shifting. What this is going to do is push those who once were private patients onto the state public hospital system, and this is so unfair. It's so ill thought out and so shortsighted.
I commend the member for Fisher for bringing this motion forward, because as an opposition we must keep this awful federal Labor government to account. Why they are turning the blowtorch onto our pensioners, onto older Australians, is anybody's guess. The member for Fisher, the member for Parkes and I know how many older Australians are so concerned by the fact that they just cannot make ends meet.
Some of these older Australians put on the uniform for Australia, have gone and fought for Australia and have protected Australia. Many of them have done the hard yards in hard jobs where physical labour was the order of the day. They just wonder why—in their twilight years, when they should be able to enjoy their life, pay for the things that matter, give the grandkids or the great grandkids some extra presents around the tree at Christmas time—they have to struggle just to meet the ordinary costs of everyday living.
Every time they get their power bill, it's gone north from the last bill, the previous bill. Every time they go to the supermarket, they find that they have less in their trolley for the money that they once spent. Every time they fill their car, they find that it's difficult to pay that bowser bill, and it's all on Labor's watch.
When Labor has a chance to fix things up, make amends and try to at least look after those older Australians, they turn their backs on them. Almost 78,000 Australians aged 65 and over are now expected to drop their private health cover by 2030 according to new Department of Health, Disability and Ageing analysis—78,000 older Australians. Why this is the case is anybody's guess.
The Albanese government is imposing a $3 billion cut to the private health insurance rebate, with almost $1.6 billion of that cost falling directly on age pensioners. All politics is local. We know that.
I asked my staff some weeks ago to keep a note particularly of those people who complained about this. Sometimes it takes a lot of these older Australians to pick the phone up and whinge. Many of them were people who had never complained to a federal member's office before, but Anne from Gooloogong said: I have had private health insurance since I started work 15 years old now am 81 and will have to be a public patient if these changes are made have always paid my way and now it will be impossible .
Gaye from Lockhart said: As a resident of the Riverina is it not enough that we have to travel many miles to see a Specialist, go to hospital, get services like CTs, ultrasounds, X-rays etc. Not to mention the cost of petrol and the high charges for appointments to see the specialist in the first instance as none take Medicare only here in the country locations and any charge an inflated price for the privilege of a visit.
We can remember the Prime Minister going around pulling out the green and gold card saying: 'This is a Medicare card. This is all you'll need.' That is bunkum. That is rubbish.
But it wasn't just Anne from Goolagong and Gaye from Lockhart. It was Lyn from Kooringal. It was Robert from Cowra.
It was Luke from Cootamundra, David from Grenfell and Michael from Murrumbateman. It was Ross, Geoff and Allen from Wagga Wagga. They all phoned my office and all had deep concerns about this policy, about this impost, about this inequity and about this unfairness.
Labor talks about inequity. I have to say, this has been in place for years and years. Why does this government have such a tin ear to fairness?
Why does this government have such a tin ear to the needs, wants and expectations of older Australians? Why?