Post-election poll proves Mediscare campaign had voters concerned

EXCLUSIVE: A post-election poll has revealed that almost 40 per cent of voters rated Labor’s Medicare lie as the most important issue of the campaign, a fact that almost cost Malcolm Turnbull the election.

The Liberal Member for the seat of Lindsay, Fiona Scott lost her seat with Labor’s Medicare campaign affecting voters.

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THE first proof that Labor’s Medicare lie has almost cost Malcolm Turnbull the election has emerged in an exclusive post-election poll revealing that almost 40 per cent of voters rated it as the most important issue of the campaign.

The discredited scare campaign now appears to have swung voters in the final days with 23 per cent of all voters making up their mind as they walked into the polling booth.

A further 17 per cent claimed they decided where their vote would go in the last week of the campaign when the debate over Medicare reached the most ferocious with bogus text messages sent to voters by Labor operatives claiming to be from Medicare.

The JWS poll of 1000 families conducted over three days after the election revealed that Medicare and health became the key issues over the campaign ranking significantly above economic management as the priority for the majority of voters.

It is the first comprehensive analysis of the election result — which is still to be decided — with the results likely to raise further questions about the Coalition’s campaign strategy and its failure to identify health as an election changer.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Tanya Plibersek at a Medicare rally in Martin Place Sydney. Picture Kym Smith

JWS managing director John Scales said the results confirmed that the health and Medicare campaign run by Bill Shorten cut through to voters far more than the economic argument mounted by Mr Turnbull.

“Health was the dominant issue for voters in the 2016 Federal election campaign, with 57 per cent nominating health issues as a key vote influencer, including 39 per cent who nominated hospitals and health care generally and 38 per cent who mentioned Medicare specifically,” the JWS analysis said.

“Supporting the late-campaign effect of Labor’s ‘Medicare’ campaign, there was above average mention of Medicare as a vote influencer among people who voted on Election Day (46 per cent) and those who only decided their vote on Election Day (41 per cent).”

The poll ranked health and Medicare as the most important issues followed by Jobs and Employment on 30 per cent.

Ms Scott, casts her vote in the Federal Election on Saturday but ultimately lost her seat.

Only 24 per cent of voters nominated economic management as their key concern.

Asylum seekers ranked highest among 20 per cent of voters, predominantly Coalition voters while education and plans for the future ranked above gay marriage at 15 per cent and tax at 14 per cent.

Despite Mr Turnbull’s presidential style campaign, the poll found that less than 10 per cent of voters made their decision based on the leader.

Mr Turnbull admitted on Tuesday after taking responsibility for the election result, that if he formed government he would pay more attention to health.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, Julie Bishop, and the sitting member Fiona Scott on the campaign trail.

Health Minister Susan Ley was absent from the election campaign with senior Liberal sources claiming she had been put on ice along with other ministers.

Treasurer Scott Morrison yesterday conceded issues around Medicare needed to be addressed.

“I think there are concerns there and we need to address them, that in no way justifies the dishonourable and deceitful campaign run by Bill Shorten,’’ he said.

“I think there’s a broader policy discussion there.”

Mr Morrison said bulk billing rates had increased under the coalition government.

“The fact is Medicare bulk billing is at 85 per cent. That is higher than the 79 per cent that Labor had,’’ he said.

“Just throwing more and more money at it isn’t going to deliver the viability that is necessary that people can have confidence in.”