Peter Dutton says he’ll fund Medicare rebate scheme by cutting public servants

Peter Dutton has outlined how his mega Medicare boost would be funded, insisting his pledge to match Labor’s investment was no kneejerk response.

A federal Coalition will fund its pledge to match Labor’s huge Medicare boost through $6bn in savings generated by making cuts to the group of 36,000 public servants hired under the Albanese government, Peter Dutton has pledged.

Speaking at an announcement for his candidate for the seat of Moreton in South East Queensland, ex-Army officer Henry Swindon, the Opposition Leader said that unlike Labor his party’s $8.5bn Medicare scheme would be fully funded.

He also insisted his party was the underdog despite another poll putting the Coalition well ahead going into the election, which could be called within days as Labor prepared to move to its Sydney campaign headquarters by March 1.

His comments came after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged on the weekend to pour $8.5bn into the scheme in a bid to raise the bulk billing rate to 90 per cent in five years, a target doctors have predicted would be very hard to achieve.

Mr Dutton matched the pledge soon after but maintained his promise was well thought out.

“We have looked at how we can fund this. It’s a lot of money but we’ve identified scaling back of the public service, which has grown phenomenally under the Labor Party - 36,000 additional public servants,’’ he said.

Peter Dutton says his Medicare pledge will be fully funded through public service cuts. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

“That’s at a cost of $6bn a year, or $24bn over the forward estimates.

“This program (boosting Medicare payments to GPs to lower patient gap fees) totals $9bn over that period, so we’ve well and truly identified the savings.’’

However he did not nominate how many public servants would have to go to fund the Medicare boost.

He also has said that he would outline which departments would share in the cuts - about 20 per cent of the entire federal public service - before the election.

While the election could be held as late as May 17, persistent speculation has been for an April 12 poll.

During Senate Estimates on Monday, Home Affairs secretary Stephanie Foster sidestepped questioning on the impact large cuts would have on security.

Mr Dutton denied his pledge to match Labor was a kneejerk response, saying there had been extensive consultation with stakeholders.

“We’ve also spent a lot of time with the RACGP (the peak GP group), with the AMA (Australian Medical Association), with other stakeholders in the health space,’’ he said.

“We’ve looked at different ways we can provide support to general practice.

“Our desire is to make health more affordable and more accessible.

“Bulk billing rates are down by 11 per cent and people aren’t going to the doctors because they can’t afford the situation Labor has created.’’

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton in Annerley, Brisbane, with his Moreton candidate Henry Swindon (right). Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

Mr Albanese’s plan included incentives on top of the standard $42.85 rebate, where all patients were bulk billed, with tiered top-ups for regional and remote areas and for complex consultations such as mental health.

The policy would save patients $859m annually on GP visits by 2030.

Mr Dutton meanwhile heaped praise on Mr Swindon, who would take on Labor’s Julie-Ann Campbell, the party’s first female State Secretary, after longtime Labor MP Graham Perrett announced he would stand down.

The seat has a comfortable 9 per cent margin and Ms Campbell is of Chinese heritage, a big advantage in the multicultural southside seat.

Mr Dutton also repeated his praise for the “bravery’’ of the Ukrainian people and its leader Volodymyr Zelensky, on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion, again labelling Russian leader Vladimir Putin a “murderous dictator’’.

Originally published as Peter Dutton says he’ll fund Medicare rebate scheme by cutting public servants