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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-10-15 Daily Xml
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Question Time

General Practitioner Payroll Tax

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (14:07): My question is to the Premier. Has the cost of seeing a GP at the Hallett Cove Corner Surgery increased or decreased since the election of the of the Malinauskas Labor government and, if so, why?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer, Minister for Defence and Space Industries) (14:07): I am not a patient of that Hallett Cove medical practice, but what—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader, you have asked your question; please listen to the answer.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: What I am familiar with, though, is that according to the most recent data that I have been able to access, approximately 76 per cent, I think it is, of GP consultations in South Australia for the most recent quarter were bulk-billed. A bulk-billed GP consultation means that there is no gap fee charged by a general practitioner or the practice to the patient when they are in receipt of that consultation. That, of course, is a good thing and something that the current federal government is trying to foster improvements to.

As the Minister for Health has previously advised the house, the current Albanese federal Labor government has tripled the bulk-billing incentive for GPs in an effort to improve remuneration to GPs because under the 10 years of the previous federal Coalition government the payment made by Medicare to GPs was frozen, so there had been no increase for 10 years under the federal Coalition government, and that regime was commenced by the current leader of the federal opposition, Peter Dutton. He was the first one to freeze this.

However, if approximately 76 per cent of consultations with GPs across South Australia are bulk-billed and there is no gap fee, then of course, commensurately, that must mean that there are 24 per cent or a bit less than one quarter of all consultations where a gap fee has been charged, and that represents a gap fee that has been charged for a long period of time.

I am also familiar with the fact that on 1 July each year, GPs who charge a gap fee will increase that gap fee year on year representing, of course, the increased cost of service delivery particularly in a high-inflation environment where, as we have seen from COVID onwards, for example, the cost of medical supplies—after 10 years of stagnation—and labour costs are recovering and people are getting wage increases.

So it's natural that GPs on 1 July each year in recent years have increased their gap fee, for those GPs who choose to charge a gap fee. The good news is that, despite the fact that GPs across the nation (other than Western Australia) have been liable for payroll tax since 2009, this government has introduced a tax cut for GPs to make sure that GPs are not obliged to pay payroll tax on the wages earnt in providing those 76 per cent of GP consultations.

Despite how those opposite, including the former shadow treasurer, tried to misrepresent this issue before he lost his portfolio under the unpleasantness we have seen in recent months in the Liberal ranks, before that and the misrepresentations by those opposite, maybe with this new portfolio he might get a question. Who knows? Maybe the member for Colton might get on the scoreboard. We will see; of course, if he hasn't threatened to resign.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the leader, I just remind everyone on both sides to keep the noise levels down. Interjections are unparliamentary.

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