Means Test

Bronwyn Bishop’s attack in yesterday’s Punch on the Government’s proposed means testing of the private health insurance rebate claims that people earning less than $50,000 will be the worst off. This is completely false.

People earning $50,000 or less will be among the 8 million health insurance policy holders that will not be affected by means testing at all. They won’t lose a dollar. Mrs Bishop should stop scaring pensioners.

Currently all families and individuals who pay private health insurance premiums are eligible for a rebate of at least 30 per cent on the cost of their insurance. It doesn’t matter how much you earn, you still receive the rebate. That money comes from the taxes of every working Australian. At the moment the same people that Bronwyn Bishop claims to care about are subsidising the rebate being paid to millionaires. They’re subsidising her private health insurance rebate and mine.

Continue reading "Counterpunch: Means testing is about fairness" »

Tanya Plibersek has flagged the re-introduction of legislation to means test the private health insurance rebate. This is Labor’s third try. It has been defeated twice.

Peter Slipper has voted twice against this legislation, presumably believing as does the rest of the Opposition, of which he was a part, that it is bad legislation for his constituents. Tony Windsor has voted against it twice and remained consistent but Rob Oakeshott only once. 

On the last vote he caved into Labor. This was interesting because Mr Oakeshott in his seat of Lyne has more people over 50 years, as well as over 60 years, than any other seat in Australia. 57,220 of his constituents are over 50, of which 38,481 are over 60. He has once voted to protect them and vote down the miserable means test but what will he be offered/threatened/cajoled by Gillard this time?

Continue reading "Labor’s mean-spirited attack on our most vulnerable" »