Tim Watts (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last Friday evening, the March for Medicare took place at the State Library of Victoria. Thousands of Melbournians, including professionals, labourers, students, doctors and nurses took part to demonstrate against this government's attack on Australia's universal healthcare system.

I attended this rally, along with several of my parliamentary colleagues including the shadow minister for health, the member for Ballarat; and the member for Chisolm. We were there because we care about the future of Medicare. It is a policy that the Labor government has had to fight hard for, in the face of consistent opposition from the Liberal Party.

Universal health care was first introduced by the Whitlam government in 1975. It faced fierce opposition from the conservatives before, during and after introduction and was subsequently gutted by the Liberal Party under the Fraser government. Labor then campaigned from opposition to reintroduce a fair universal healthcare scheme, which it did in 1984 following the election of the Hawke government. In the 30 years since, Medicare has ensured millions of Australians have had access to an affordable and fair healthcare system. Now, this government is seeking to undermine the basis of Medicare by asking Australians to pay a $7 GP tax every time they visit the doctor, despite promising Australians no new taxes. These changes will hurt every Australian, especially those on low incomes.

Those of us on this side of the House have had to fight for universal health care against the Liberal Party before: we fought for it at the 1969 election, at the 1972 election, at the 1975 election, at the 1977 election, at the 1980 election, at the 1983 election, at the 1984 election and at the 1987 election, and we will fight for it again at the next federal election. Australians did not vote for this and they do not want it.