Local residents will be hit hardest by the Abbott Government’s $6 GP Tax, Leader of the Opposition and Member for Maribyrnong Bill Shorten said today.
“Ours is a community which depends upon free access to healthcare, with 83.9 per cent of services in Maribyrnong bulk billed,” he said.
“But under the Abbott Government’s $6 GP tax, local patients would have to pay a total of around $4.98 million a year just to see their doctor.”
Mr Shorten said the proposed GP Tax would hurt those who could least afford it.
“Residents who access bulk billing services are the ones who need them the most – those over 55 and families with young children.”
“In 2010-11 approximately 230,000 services were utilised by local seniors and around 53,000 were for children under the age of four.”
“But this doesn’t matter to the Abbott Government. Again and again, we seem them attacking the most vulnerable in our community.”
“Make no mistake, this is yet another twisted priority from the Abbott Government.”