Belmont Medicare rally opposes Abbott health budget

An estimated 500 people attended the 11am rally that marched from Belmont shopping centre to the foreshore, where a number of speakers spoke on a range of health related issues. 

Labor federal MPs and state ALP candidates Jodie Harrison and Yasmin Catley were joined by pensioner advocate Diedre Ham and Jake Howell from the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association in condemning the funding model unveiled in the federal budget.

Shortland MP Jill Hall told the crowd the changes were an attack on Medicare and universal healthcare, focusing on what the government describes as a ‘$7 co-payment’ but which Labor labels a ‘GP tax’ that it says would cost people in the Hunter more than $28million a year.

‘‘The $7 GP tax is a cruel and brutal measure that will hurt families and lead to longer-term health problems over time,’’ Ms Hall said.

Member for Charlton Pat Conroy said in addition to the new GP fee and increases in the cost of prescription medicines the budget would rip $220million out of the region’s public hospitals. 

‘‘This will severely impact emergency waiting times and frontline services,’’ Mr Conroy said.

‘‘It leaves a disgraceful funding black hole and will put even more pressure on our hospital system.’’

Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon said the funding changes would result in bigger health problems over time.

‘‘We should not be discouraging people from visiting a doctor by charging a new GP tax,’’ she said.

‘‘We should be encouraging preventative health measures and supporting people when they are sick.

 At one point the crowd, which contained a large proportion of pension-aged citizens, was asked to raise their hand if it was their first political protest. A clear majority of hands were raised.

Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon called for a united front to oppose the budget and save Medicare.

‘‘There is no more important responsibility for government than to provide access to affordable health care,’ he said.

‘‘The government’s attack on Medicare does just the opposite.’’

THE government believes it can talk the new senators into supporting its GP co-payment and changes to universities once they arrive in Canberra next month.

The Abbott government faces a tough time getting its budget measures through the upper house as Labor, the Greens and Clive Palmer oppose many of them.

But Jamie Briggs, who is Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, says it is too early to make assumptions about which way votes will go.

‘‘I’m not at all sure that the positions some of the new senators have outlined will necessarily be their position in a month’s time,’’ he said yesterday.

‘‘When they’re in Canberra and they’ve had the discussions with the relevant ministers … I’m very confident people will understand this is the right direction.’’

Senators taking their seats  include the Palmer United Party’s three representatives, Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm, the Motoring Enthusiast Party’s Ricky Muir, Family First’s Bob Day and a 10th Greens senator.