Greens defend universal healthcare
08/02/2012 - 2:45pm

The Australian Greens today called for the government to split its private health reforms so that bills to means test the private health insurance rebate and the Medicare levy surcharge could be voted on independently.

“One of the key goals of health policy is to deliver healthcare to those who most need it at the lowest possible cost,” said Greens’ health spokesperson Dr Richard Di Natale.

“Forcing people into private health insurance through taxpayer subsidies doesn’t just advantage people on higher incomes it makes healthcare more expensive overall.

“This is especially true for dental care where taxpayer subsidies mean that people without private insurance are paying for dental treatment for those who do.

“The health Minister now seems to be saying that people on higher incomes are a burden on Medicare and have no right to access the public system.  

“Medicare is based on the principle that health cover should be universal and it gives everyone access to good healthcare regardless of income. Those who earn more, pay more for it through their taxes.

“We know that the opposition have never supported Medicare but Labor now seems to be backing away from universal healthcare in support of a two tiered system. It’s bad economics and bad health policy.

“What next? Financial penalties for people on higher incomes who send their kids to government schools?”

Media contact: Andrew Blyberg 0457 901 600

Nation must follow NSW lead on sunbed ban: Greens
06/02/2012 - 3:27pm

Australian Greens’ health spokesperson, Senator Richard Di Natale said today that the New South Wales Government has led the way by banning all sunbeds, but now the rest of the country needs to catch up.

“The Australian Greens support the campaigners around Australia who are calling on all governments to act as New South Wales has and move to ban sunbeds.

“There is no debate in the medical community – sunbeds are dangerous. They kill people.

“As a doctor, I regularly saw the devastation caused by cancer and melanomas. Banning these cancer beds is a no-brainer.

“If a Liberal government in New South Wales can act on this, the rest of the country has no excuse for inaction.”

Media contact: Andrew Blyberg 0457 901 600

 

Don't pass the buck Mr Baillieu, get moving on pokies reform with $1 bet limits
06/02/2012 - 3:24pm

The Greens said today that the Baillieu  Government  is using hollow excuses for inaction on pokies and if they are serious about pokies reform they would embrace the Greens' $1 bets proposal.

“The Baillieu government's broken promise takes the cake in a long line of broken election commitments - it is just a hollow excuse for inaction on pokies reform,” said Colleen Hartland, Victorian Greens spokesperson for Gambling.

“Our communities are hurting from the affects of problem gambling with $2.6 billion annually coming out of Victorians pockets and going into pokies machines. The Baillieu government has failed Victorians by breaking this commitment,” said Ms Hartland.

Australian Greens’ spokesperson on gambling, Senator Richard Di Natale, said that if either the Victorian or Federal Governments were serious about helping problem gamblers they would stop passing the buck.

“The Baillieu Government is blaming the Gillard Government and the Gillard Government is blaming the crossbenches. Everyone is guilty of passing the buck for their own inaction. If either Government was serious about pokies reform they would embrace the Greens’ $1 bet limit policy immediately,” said Senator Di Natale.
 
“Limiting bets to $1 would be the cheapest, simplest and most effective option, and it can be implemented immediately without any trial or delay. Victoria has already reduced the maximum bet from $10 to $5, it would not be difficult to follow the advice of the Productivity Commission and reduce it further to $1.”

Media Contacts
Colleen Hartland MLC: 0417 445 845
Senator Richard Di Natale: Andrew Blyberg - 0457 901 600

Private Health Insurance reforms need more teeth: Greens
06/02/2012 - 3:23pm

Greens’ spokesperson for health, Senator Richard Di Natale, said that he continued to have concerns about the proposed government's Private Health Insurance reforms.  

“The Greens and the Government agree that tax payers shouldn't be subsidising private health insurance for high income earners. 

“The inequities created by this approach are particularly bad in the area of dental health where low and middle income earners are subsidising dental care for high income earners to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

“But exempting high income earners from paying a higher Medicare levy because they have private health insurance just makes this inequity worse. 

“If the government was to end all tax payer subsidies to the private health insurance industry it would have enough money to implement the Greens plan for universal, Medicare-funded dental treatment.”

Media contact: Andrew Blyberg 0457 901 600

Tony Abbott’s magic pudding is no good for your teeth
06/02/2012 - 9:31am

Greens’ spokesperson for dental health, Senator Richard Di Natale, said today that Tony Abbott’s aspirations for Denticare are toothless.

“Tony Abbott wants credit for the Greens’ Denticare plan but his magic pudding can’t deliver,” said Senator Di Natale.

“His magic pudding budget would be the death of Denticare, which means more decay, more infection and more tooth extractions for desperate Australians who can’t afford to see a dentist.

“You don’t have to drill too deep to see a gaping cavity in Tony Abbott’s economic credibility.

“Tony Abbott expects us to believe that he will repeal the carbon tax and the mining tax, deliver further tax cuts, somehow maintain the fiscal aim of a consistent $10 - 15 billion surplus as well as deliver Denticare.”

The Coalition announced $50 billion in spending cuts before the 2010 election over four years but Treasury and Finance have said that $10 billion is not achievable and $5 billion of savings have already been taken up or slated for programs that have already finished. They claim that repealing the mining and carbon taxes would involve net savings to the budget of $6 billion and $4 billion respectively but the anticipated savings from scrapping the carbon tax will largely be spent this year.

“Tony Abbott seems to have identified a new category of taxes that can be abolished and result in more government savings.

“The unrealistic preconditions of 1 per cent budget surplus year on year, paying down debt and billions in tax cuts before we go ahead with Denticare is a kick in the teeth to all of those Australians who need urgent treatment.

“Tony Abbott is trying to have his magic pudding and eat it too.

“He is the new fairy at the bottom of the garden, but he’s no tooth fairy.”

Media contact: Andrew Blyberg 0457 901 600