MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
Senior Australians
Mr BATT (Hinkler—Deputy Nationals Whip) (15:43): I thank the member for Mallee for highlighting this matter as a priority. The fact is: this Labor government has failed, and is failing, our older Australians, and, with an $11 billion tax-grab on private health insurance, they’re putting our health system under further stress. Labor is ready to take back the rebate, pocket the money and leave the states to pick up the pieces, as pressure builds further on public hospitals.
My electorate of Hinkler has the second-highest percentage of people aged over 65 in the country. That is a total of more than 44,000 people, just in Hinkler, doing worse off under this Labor government. An estimated 26,300 of these seniors have taken out private health cover. They are already struggling with the escalating costs of surviving, let alone of living. Labor’s reckless attack on rebates will most certainly put excessive pressure on our crowded public hospitals. Now, these people, who pay their private health cover, will be forced to downgrade or to drop their insurance altogether.
During the winter recess, I conducted an electorate-wide survey, and the interim results are in. One of the many questions in Hinkler’s biggest survey was asked of those aged over 65 with private health cover: ‘Will you continue with your insurance when Labor scraps your rebate?’ The results so far indicate that three in four will stop or, at the very least, consider ending their cover. That’s 42 per cent of those surveyed saying they simply can’t afford to continue if the rebate is scrapped, and 33 per cent are unsure if they can hold on to it. Even health officials have admitted the government doesn’t know how many of the three million older Australians affected are pensioners. However, they concede many older Australians really do value private health insurance. Those who, until now, have been able to pay for private health insurance should be encouraged to do so, because the equation is simple: it takes pressure off the public health system. But the Labor government is punishing older Australians at every single turn.
Take Bundaberg’s David Orpin as a prime example, a 68-year-old pensioner and carer for his 91-year-old mother. Both have private health insurance, but Mr Orpin fears the Labor government will force him and his mother to cut back on bare essentials. His minimal carer’s payment doesn’t cut it when it comes to forking out for rising rates, rego, fuel, food and general health costs. David asked me: how many people will ditch their private health and then be a burden on the public system? And the coalition is asking that question too. Let’s support the people who have given our regional communities so much.
Dave’s mum, Shirley, is an OAM recipient with lifelong service to our community through Scouts, Rotary and her church. Dave is simply making his case clear to those opposite. In his words, ‘I hope you can see that we are doing it tough, very tough.’ He said, ‘If we give up health insurance, then the government pays for all the bills.’
In the Senior, in the Queensland edition for 3 July, the editor Desiree Savage made these comments: … I have never seen so many Letters to the Editor on one particular topic as the proposed cuts to the Private Health Insurance rebate has.
Desiree writes that it is very clear readers of the Senior ‘fear they will be forced to go without’.
Again directly from my electorate of Hinkler, Andrew and Isobel from the seaside town of Woodgate tell me that they will have to consider the cancellation of their current policy and to rely on the public health system. They ask, ‘It all seems a bit counterproductive, don’t you think?’
Robyn and Len from Bundaberg pondered in an email to me, ‘Maybe the Labor government wants us all to just die, and the problem will go away.’ The couple went on to say that they worked all their lives and that they deserve better. And I agree. We must give back to the people that have made lifelong sacrifices. These people are in their twilight years, and a fair go is the least we can do.
Wendy is battling breast cancer and has been treated in a private hospital. Wendy said her ongoing treatment will have to come to an end once the cuts come in. She says, ‘This Labor policy will break our backs as pensioners and push us into an overloaded public health system.’
The over-65s in my electorate of Hinkler and right across the nation deserve a fair go. They should not be forced to downgrade or drop their private health cover altogether. But, under this $11 billion tax grab, that is what will happen: Canberra pockets the money while the states are left to pick up the pressure on public hospitals. Labor must scrap this damaging policy because it hurts older Australians and increases pressure on taxpayers.