The ACTU doing Shorten's dirty work lying about Medicare - now it's begging for money to spread the lie further
Monday, 27 June 2016
The ACTU and affiliated unions have no shame - thanks to reader Ralph for the tip.
The fact that these people have lengthy form in organised crime, standover tactics and a systematic approach to official deception that would do Muhammad's Taqiyya proud should be the stuff of daily announcements in a consistent narrative from the coalition,
But it's not and they get away with this.
Election 2016: AMA president Michael Gannon criticises Bill Shorten's Medicare claims
The new head of the Australian Medical Association has dealt a blow to Opposition Leader Bill Shorten's claim the Government wants to privatise Medicare.
Key points:
- Dr Gannon dubs Medicare's payments system "rusty" and "antiquated"
- AMA says evidence doesn't stack up to support Labor's claims Medicare would be privatised
- Dr Gannon pleased with Labor's plans to unravel the freeze on rebates
Mr Shorten's assertion is based on the fact the Government had been considering outsourcing what Dr Michael Gannon has dubbed Medicare's "antiquated" and "rusty" payments system.
He said privatising the payments system "in no way" amounted to privatising Medicare, as Mr Shorten has claimed.
"I've never seen, and nor do I see, a proposal to potentially privatise the payments system as … a way to privatise Medicare," Dr Gannon said.
"The evidence just doesn't stack up.
"We also understand how important Medicare is to voters and that's why it's such a potent claim from the Labor Party but the AMA will always call governments to account, they will call oppositions to account."
Dr Gannon added he was pleased with "numerous" elements of Labor's health policy.
"Most noticeably unravelling the freeze on patient rebates," he said.
At the weekend Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull ruled out privatising any aspect of Medicare, in the wake of what he dubbed a "disgraceful scare campaign" by Mr Shorten.
"The president of the AMA has called them [Labor] out," Mr Turnbull said today.
"Medicare will never, ever be privatised, it will never, ever be sold.
"The services of Medicare, the payment services, will not be outsourced."
Mr Turnbull maintained the payments system needed to be upgraded, but said it would be done by the Government.
He cited the newly established Digital Transformation Office as proof of his faith in Government's ability to modernise without paying private consultants.
Mr Shorten said Labor was also prepared to modernise the payments system.
"But what we're not prepared to do is outsource the payments system to a large bank, to a foreign multi-national," he said.
"That is a thin edge of the wedge of the dismantling the Medicare system as we know it."
Dr Gannon — the head of obstetrics and gynaecology at St John of God Subiaco Hospital in Perth — took over the reins of the AMA in May from Sydney neurosurgeon Brian Owler.