STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON. E. G. WHITLAM, Q. C., M. P. o
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY ZONE 1 CONFERENCE
LANE COVE TOWN HALL, SUNDAY 9 MARCH 1975
THE POLITICS OF MEDIBANK
THE OPPOSITION'S THREAT TO MEDIBANK SYMBOLIZES AND
ENCAPSULES THEIR WHOLE DESTRUCTIVE AND NEGATIVE APPROACH TO
NATIONAL ISSUES TODAY.
1; IT PERFECTLY ILLUSTRATES THEIR CONTEMPT OF THE WILL
OF THE PEOPLE AND THEIR REFUSAL TO ACCEPT THE PEOPLE S
VERDICT. LABOR'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROPOSALS WERE
FIRST PUT BEFORE THE ELECTORATE IN DETAIL AT THE
ELECTIONS OF 1969 ELECTIONS IN WHICH THE LABOR PARTY
GAINED 17 SEATS. THEY WERE AGAIN CENTRAL TO OUR
POLICIES ON WHICH WE WON THE 1972 ELECTIONS. THEY
WERE SPELT OUT AGAIN IN 1974. INDEED, THE HEALTH
INSURANCE COMMISSION ACT WAS ONE OF THE. SIX BILLS
REJECTED TN THE SENATE ON WHICH THE LABOR GOVERNMENT
WAS GRANTED A DOUBLE DISSOLUTION AFTER THE SENATE'S
REFUSAL OF SUPPLY. As THE MELBOURNEAGE SAID YESTERDAY:
" THE BROAD HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAMME IS ALREADY LAW,
IT HAS BEEN APPROVED BY PARLIAMENT. IT HAS TWICE
BEEN THE ? RINC! PAL PLANK IN A WINNING ELECTION POLICY,
IF EVER THE WHITLAM GOVERNMENT HAD THE RIGHT TO CLAIM
A MANDATE FOR ANYTHING IT IS FOR THE HEALTH SCHEME,"
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2. THE OPPOSITION'S ATTITUDE IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF THE
USE OF THE SENATE TO FRUSTRATE NOT JUST THE ELECTED GOVERNMENT
BUT THE CLEAR DECISION OF THE PEOPLE. THE HEALTH INSURANCE
COMMISSION IS NOW ESTABLISHED BY THE LAW OF THE LAND AS ARESULT
OF THE JOINT SITTING LAST AUGUST. WHEN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AND THE SENATE TOGETHER PASSED THE BILL INTO LAW THE OPPOSITION
THEN USED ITS NUMBERS IN THE SENATE TO PREVENT PASSAGE OF THE
HEALTH INSURANCE LEVYASSESSMENT BILLS TO FUND MEDIBANKS
IS
3. I/ AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE WAY IN WHICH THE OPPOSITION NOW-.
OPPOSES MEASURES WHICH THEY THEMSELVES PROPOSED OR INITIATED IN
GOVERNMENT. SINCE THE JOINT SITTING THE OPPOSITION IN THE
SENATE HAS TWICE EXCLUDED FROM A NATIONAL HEALTH BILL PROVISIONS
WHICH WERE-RECOMMENDED SIX YEARS AGO BY THE NIMMO COMMITTEE AND
WHICH FIVE YEARS AGO LAST WEEK DR FORBES WHEN MINISTER FOR
HEALTH SAID THAT THE GORTON GOVERNMENT WOULD ADOPT.
4I, MR. SNEDDEN'S WRITHINGS AND WRIGGLINGS IN HIS EFFORTS fO
RECONCILE HIS STATEMENTS WITH MR ANTHONY'S IS A CARICATURE OF
LEADERSHIP. THE COUNTRY PARTY TAIL IS WAGGING THE LIBERAL.
WOOF WOOF. MR ANTHONY OPPOSES MEDIBANK ONLY BECAUSE HE IS
DESPERATE THAT AN ELECTION BE HELD BEFORE THE NEXT RE-DISTRIBUTION
CAN GUARANTEE AUSTRALIANS EQUAL ELECTORATES AS PROVIDED BY THE LAW
OF THE LAND ANOTHER PROPOSITION ENDORSED BY THE PEOPLE LAST MAY
AND APPROVED AT THE JOINT SITTING IN AUGUST. IT IS QUITE
IMMATERIAL TO HIM THAT HIS LIBERAL ALLIES SUFFER AS MUCH FROM
THE PRESENT APPORTIONMENT AS THE-LABOR PARTY.
( MITCHELL, LIB, 29.98 ABOVE THE QUOTA; ROBERTSON, LAB, 25.29
ABOVE THE QUOTA; CALARE, 16,82 BELOW THE QUOTA;
HUME, 20.73 BELOW THE QUOTA; GWYDIR, 16.96 BELOW
THE QUOTA.) I 3/ I
AND IT IS SYMPTOMATIC OF THE PRESENT STATE OF THE LIBERAL PARTY
THAT IT WILL MEEKLY ACCEPT THIS DICTATION AND THIS INJUSTICE,
THE ATTITUDE OF THE NON-LABOR STATES ILLUSTRATES THE
PHONINESS OF THEIR " STATES' RIGHTS" SLOGANEERING WHEN IT COMES
TO A MATTER OF THE PEOPLEIS RIGHTS. IN N. SW, DAILY CHARGES FOR
PUBLIC WARD BEDS WERE LIFTED TO $ 30, EXACTLY DOUBLE THE CHARGE
IN JULY 1972, NSW, STANDS TO LOSE $ 30 MILLION IN 1975/ 76 IF
IT REFUSES TO OPERATE MEDIBANK,
6. THE WHOLE BUSINESS IS DESIGNED TO DRAG OUT THE DEBATE, TO
OBSCURE THE BASIC ISSUE SO THAT PEOPLE WILLEBECOME THOROUGHLY
CONFUSED AND THOROUGHLY DISILLUSIONED. THE FACT IS THAT HOWEVER
HEALTH INSURANCE IS FINANCED, HOWEVER MEDIBANK' IS FUNDED,
MEDICAL AND HOSPITAL TREATMENT WILL NOT COST A CENT MORE. WE
HAVE TO FACE THE FACT THAT AN INCREASING PERCENTAGE OF THE
i ATIONAL INCOME WILL'BE APPLIED TO HEALTH. IT IS IRRELEVANT
WHETHER THIS IS CHANNELLED THROUGH THE PRIVATE HEALTH FUNDS OR
THROUGH MEDIBANK HOWEVER FUNDED. THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT RESULT
IN OVERALL COST IS THAT MEDIBANK WILL BE LESS EXPENSIVE TO
ADMINISTER THAN HEALTH INSURANCE ADMINISTERED BY MORE THAN 100
PRIVATE BUREAUCRACIES PRESENTLY OPERATING IN AUSTRALIA.
7. AS FAR AS THE GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED MEDIBANK IS THE LAW
OF THE LAND. WE WILL APPLY THAT LAW AND WE'WILL COMPLY WITH IT,
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