Treasurer Joe Hockey has refused to concede the GP co-payment is dead, despite Clive Palmer’s declaration that his party will not support even an additional one cent fee for patients.
MPs have returned to Canberra for crucial spring sittings of Parliament, where debate continues over the future of billions of dollars of measures announced in the budget more than three months ago.
During the five-week winter break, senior ministers – including Mr Hockey – courted the crossbench senators in a failed bid to win enough support to pass the GP fee and other contentious proposals.
Mr Palmer appears to have today closed the door on any future negotiations over the $7 fee on GP visits, blood tests and X-rays, saying it is “dead” and there would be “zero” compromise from the Palmer United Party.
“Our senators this morning decided they’ll be voting against the co-payment, and we’ll do all that we can to make sure it’s not introduced in Australia,” he told Parliament.
Earlier, as he was preparing to meet the three PUP senators and Victorian Senator Ricky Muir – who has signed a loose voting agreement with PUP – Mr Palmer declared the GP fee is “finished”.
“We’re not going to have a co-payment of even one cent. There’ll be none – isn’t that good,” he said.
“Australians won’t need to worry anymore. It’s a chance for the Government to get back [to] something … important [for] Australians – providing them jobs, expanding the economy.
“There’s been no focus on that, it’s all been diversion [from] what’s really happening.”
When asked if he would concede that the proposal was now dead, Mr Hockey replied “No” but would not comment any further.
In Question Time, Labor targeted the Treasurer with repeated questions about the GP co-payment, with his Opposition counterpart Chris Bowen asking, “Is the GP co-payment a tax by any other name?”
Mr Hockey continued to defend the budget measure.
“We are asking Australians to pay $7 when they go and visit the GP,” he said.
“The bottom line is it is a payment for service.”
The GP fee was expected to save the Government $3.5 billion over 5 years from July 1, 2015 – money which was to be invested in a medical research fund.
It would involve cutting the Medicare rebate paid to doctors by $5, requiring GPs to make up the money by charging patients an extra $7.