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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-07-24 Daily Xml
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Federal Budget

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (15:53): Since the federal Liberal Coalition government handed down the federal budget, I have had phone calls and visits to my office from constituents concerned about its impact on their lives. At street-corner meetings, I have also had constituents raise concerns. As their member in this parliament, I would like to be able to reassure them that there is no need to worry, that it will work out. While I am not able to do that, those opposite, the state Liberal opposition, could, by joining state Labor in speaking out and demanding that their federal colleagues reverse their decisions—decisions that will impact significantly on the lives of the people we represent and particularly on the lives of those most vulnerable, those who simply cannot afford it.

The more we hear about, or delve into, the Abbott government's first federal budget, the more we see that it is a budget that just keeps on taking from ordinary Australians. It is a budget that lifts the veil on who really matters to the federal Liberal government, and from where we stand on this side, all we hear from the Marshall-led liberal opposition—

Mr GARDNER: Point of order, Deputy Speaker.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Point of order, member for Morialta.

Mr GARDNER: The Speaker constantly reminds us not to use the member's name, but instead to use their titles, and he referred to that ruling only 20 minutes ago.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, unfortunately that is true, so we just need to make sure we refer to them by their ministerial title where they have a ministerial title.

Ms WORTLEY: Thank you, Deputy Speaker. So, what we hear from those opposite, the Liberal opposition, are sounds of silence. The federal budget shows just how out of touch they are with working families and others on low and fixed incomes. A $7 payment to see the doctor may seem very little to them. The GP tax may be the difference between being able to buy enough food for the family for the week and having to go without what many of us would consider 'basic necessities'.

Evidence is already mounting that the GP tax will stop some people who need medical attention from seeing a doctor. There are families in my electorate who have told me that this will be a deciding factor for them because there are times when an extra $7 just cannot be found. It is without doubt that this additional payment will stop some people who need to see a doctor from doing so and there will be serious and even tragic consequences resulting from this.

Just last week Labor opposition leader, Bill Shorten, received a petition from more than 3,000 doctors who are very unhappy about this tax—doctors who rightly believe that it is unfair, and that it hurts our most vulnerable citizens. The petition contains stories from doctors involved with delivering front-line health services telling the federal Liberal government in no uncertain terms that its GP tax is bad for Australians. The 2,500 doctors and the 500 medicos on this petition are pleading with the federal Liberal government to rethink their decision to impose this tax that will impact significantly on those who cannot afford it.

There is an example from one doctor of a 66-year old pensioner who came and asked, 'Are you charging the $7 fee for a visit?' and the doctor's receptionist answered, 'Not yet.' He said, 'Good, because I want to quickly check with the doc if I should worry about this little headache I've had since this morning.' The doctor said he went on to check his blood pressure and his pulse and gave him medications to lower his blood pressure and he called the ambulance which took him to hospital. It was written on his discharge paper that he had suddenly collapsed in the emergency department, was resuscitated, and underwent successful emergency surgery. It is said that if the co-payment was already applicable he would have gone home and died.

The petition is full of real-life stories from real doctors about real patients. Unfortunately, the GP tax is just one of the many unfair and inequitable measures in the federal Liberal government's budget. Of course, we know that they are ripping away money that has already been committed to our vital health and education services, and to pensioner concessions. These are measures which hurt ordinary South Australians and those opposite are silent.

Labor will stand up and for our most-vulnerable citizens: our children, our elderly, our sick, our unemployed, and those with disabilities. We will fight for those who we have pledged to serve. That is why the Weatherill state Labor government is speaking out against this federal budget which is one of butchered promises and broken dreams.

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