Labor will defend health care and education, Shorten vows

We want to make sure that it is a child’s hard work, which determines access to university.” Opposition Leader Bill Shorten 

(Translation of this article appears in Arabic section)

Excerpt of a press conference held by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten for the multicultural media in Sydney.

I wanted this session because I understand the value of our non-English speaking press in media diversity which makes up the remarkable nation of Australia.  You reach citizens and people deeply interested in our future, providing independent analysis and commentary which I think makes you an irreplaceable part of the media. 

The Labor Party has a very positive set of plans for all Australians, no matter their background. Labor will always defend Medicare.  It is a core principle of Australian life that your Medicare card, not your credit card, determines the quality of health care you get in this country.

I never want to see Australians deterred from seeking medical health care because of cost. It is simply a priority, I believe, of a progressive government to ensure that we can fund our universal health care system therefore Labor is making tough budgetary decisions to prioritise the health care of all Australians rather than perhaps make corporate tax cuts or give tax cuts to those with high net worth.

Our health care system is worth fighting for.  The Turnbull Government is freezing the rebates, which are paid by the government to general practitioners, for six years.  The consequence of this harsh freeze is that it will mean after six years a third of doctors will no longer be able to offer bulk billing because, as you can appreciate, the costs of running a surgery go up. If there is no increase or indexation from government it will become impossible for doctors in many cases to offer a medical service that requires payment of an upfront fee.

Labor is also opposing cuts to our bulk billing incentives for pathology services, blood tests and diagnostic imaging centres.  We also decided to not go ahead with the price increase the Liberals are proposing for the price of medicine. We also made a decision to prioritise properly funding our hospitals. 

The problem with the cuts Mr Turnbull is proposing is that waiting lists for elective surgery will blow out whereas we say that the more promptly we are able to attend to illness and medical needs, the better the long-term effect on the economy and prioritised patient care.

But another big issue is our school and university systems.  I don’t need to explain the importance that communities place on the education of children.  The best thing that any parent can do, other than love their child and ensure their child grows up resilient, is give them a good education.

It is the legitimate response, the legitimate expectation, of parents and grandparents that some of the taxes they pay to Canberra come back in the form of funding and properly resourced schools. If we do nothing else in the next 10 years but improve academic outcomes, improve opportunities for children in schools, then that would be a job well done.

We want to make sure that it is a child’s hard work, not the wealth of their parents, which determines access to university.  I think one of the best opportunities you can provide people is to go to university, regardless of where they live, language or the jobs of their parents. But we should have an educational system in Australia where bright kids can get ahead.