Labor launches ‘Mediscare 2.0’

Labor has launched a fresh ­“Mediscare” campaign after it was revealed Scott Morrison’s pick as next health minister has been a supporter of a GP co-payment.

Labor has launched a fresh ­“Mediscare” campaign after it was revealed that Scott Morrison’s pick as next health minister has been a vocal supporter of a GP co-payment.

Anthony Albanese said the Morrison government was planning cuts to Medicare, after South Australian senator Anne Ruston was confirmed as the replacement for outgoing Health Minister Greg Hunt.

“Anne Ruston has made it very clear she wants to take the universal out of universal healthcare,” the Opposition Leader said.

“She has made it very clear that if we have a re-election of the ­Morrison government, we will see more cuts to Medicare, more cuts to Medicare over the next three years.

“The appointment of Anne Ruston sends a very bad message that this government, if it is re-elected, will make further cuts to Medicare.”

A $7 doctor co-payment was unveiled in the 2014 budget but later dumped by then prime minister Tony Abbott.

The unpopular move paved the way for Bill Shorten’s “Mediscare” campaign in the 2016 election when Labor took 14 seats by claiming Malcolm Turnbull had a secret plan to privatise Medicare.

Senator Anne Ruston. Picture: Jason Edwards

When a co-payment was ­Coalition policy, Senator Ruston told parliament that Medicare was not sustainable without it.

“Everybody would like to think we could go on in life with universal healthcare, with universal ­education and with all these wonderful things that over the last 20 years Australians have come to ­accept as a given,” she said.

“Unfortunately, the credit card is maxed out. That is exactly what has happened here.”

On Sunday, Senator Ruston said she no longer supported a co-payment and rejected Labor’s claims there would be cuts for Medicare.

The Prime Minister said Senator Ruston’s comments supporting a co-payment were made “many years ago and related to the policy the government held at the time … it is not our policy, it will not be our policy, there will be no co-payment.”

With the government trying to keep the focus of the campaign on the economy, Mr Morrison said good budget management was essential for funding health services.

“Our government has been able to guarantee Medicare because we have been able to deliver a strong economy,” he said. “Being able to manage money is the best health policy any government can have, because it is only that government that can actually deliver on the health needs and essential services that Australians rely on.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison stops outgoing health minister Greg Hunt as he almost accidentally announces his successor. Picture: Jason Edwards

Visiting Westmead Hospital in the marginal Sydney electorate of Parramatta, Mr Morrison said Mr Hunt was the best health minister Australia had ever had.

He clarified his position on a private member’s bill sponsored by Liberal senator Claire Chandler – which would make it legal for sports clubs to ban transgender people – saying he supported a conscience vote on the bill and it was not a government position.

He unveiled a major health commitment of $273m to subsidise Continuous Glucose Monitoring, assisting 71,000 Australians with type one diabetes. The policy, backed by Labor, increases the health budget from $132bn in 2022-23 to $140bn in 2025-26.

Mr Morrison said every Australian with type-1 diabetes would have access to a government-funded CGM device, which would cost $5000 a year without a subsidy.

“Type 1 diabetes is an insidious condition that cannot be prevented and costs Australians thousands of dollars each year,” Mr Morrison said.

“This commitment (is) making it easier for type-one diabetes sufferers to go about their everyday lives.”