Attorney-General George Brandis has labelled Labor’s so-called Medicare scare campaign as “disgraceful” and “fraudulent”, suggesting it may have changed the election result.
Speaking on Sky News, Senator Brandis said Labor’s “Medicare lie bit heavily in the closing fortnight of the campaign”, particularly in Tasmania, where three sitting Liberal MPs were defeated.
“I think that the thing that made the difference between a reasonably comfortable win and, if this is the case, a very narrow win for the Government, was the fact that the Labor Party threw the kitchen sink at one of the most mendacious and disgraceful campaigns that we’ve ever seen,” Senator Brandis said.
“The proposition that the Government planned to sell or privatise Medicare was … a nonsense.
“There as no truth in the assertion whatsoever.”
Senator Brandis said it was “clearly the case” Labor had run a “fraudulent campaign”.
In the lead-up to the election Labor accused the Government of planning to sell off Medicare, recruiting former prime minister Bob Hawke to appear in a TV advertising campaign warning against privatisation.
It also attacked the Government’s continuation of the freeze on rebates paid to doctors as a “GP co-payment by stealth” and part of a “Medicare privatisation” agenda.
Mr Turnbull responded by saying Medicare would “never ever” be privatised under his Government and that any hike in GP fees could not be attributed to the rebate freeze.
The freeze on rebates paid to doctors and other medical professionals was introduced by Labor in 2013 and has been extended twice by the Coalition.
Yesterday, voters reported receiving text messages that appeared to be from “Medicare” as they went to the polls.
“Mr Turnbull’s plans to privatise Medicare will take us down the road of no return. Time is running out to Save Medicare,” the text read.
When asked if the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) would investigate, spokesman Tom Rogers said the AEC’s powers were limited by the electoral act.
“Every election campaign a number of issues are raised … that we will examine in accordance with the electoral act,” he told ABC News 24.
“It is very specific and our powers are defined by the electoral act.”
The ABC has contacted the Labor Party for comment.