EMBARGO: 5PM UDAY
PRIME MINISTER'S WEEKLY BROADCAST L
THE REAL THREAT TO MEDIBANK
SUNDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 1975
IN MY BROADCAST LAST WEEK I MADE THE POINT THAT
WHILE MR FRASER KEEPS TALKING ABOUT THE NEED TO CUT
GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE, HE NEVER SPELLS OUT CONVINCINGLY
O WHERE THE CUTS WOULD COME FROM IF THE LIBERALS HAD THEIR
WAY) I SAID LAST WEEK: " IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH IMAGINATION
TO SEE W ERE THE REAL CUTS WOULD BE MADE... THEY WOULD COME
__.-FROM OUR PROGRAMS FOR BETTER HEALTH SERVICES AND HOSPITALS,
FOR ADEQUATE SOCIAL SECURITY) THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD PAY
FOR MR FRASER'S ECONOMIC POLICIES ARE THE POOR, THE NEEDY,
THE SICK11 I SUPPOSE I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN THE LIBERALS MORE
CREDIT FOR FRANKNESSy AT THE VERY MOMENT I WAS ISSUING
THIS WARNING MR CHIPP LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAGk. HE SPELT
O OUT QUITE CLEARLY AND UNMISTAKABLY IN BRUTAL AND
UNEQUIVOCAL TERMS THAT IF THE LIBERALS GOT BACK INTO
OFFICE THE FIRST THING THEY WOULD DO WOULD BE TO KILL
MEDIBANKk THERE WAS NO HEDGING OR QUALIFICATION ABOUT IT..
I'*
MEDIBANK WAS A " MONSTER'.. MEDIBANK WOULD BE DISMANTLED)
THE OPPOSITION WOULD RETURN TO A SYSTEM OF PRIVATE
HEALTH INSURANCE" THOSE WERE MR CHIPP'S OWN WORDS AND
THEY WERE QUOTED IN ALL THE PAPERS LAST WEEKEND. ./ 2
NOW MR CHIPP IS NOT JUST AN OPPOSITION
BACKBENCHER AIRING HIS PRIVATE THEORIES.-HE IS THE
OPPOSITION'S OFFICIAL SPOKESMAN ON SOCIAL SECURITY
WE MUST ASSUME THAT IN SOME THINGS AT LEAST HE KNOWS.
WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT. WE MUST ASSUME THAT WHEN HE
TALKS ABOUT MEDIBANK HE IS EXPRESSING THE OFFICIAL
POLICY OF THE OPPOSITION,-AND IN FACT HE IS STILL
THEIR OFFICIAL SPOKESMAN ON THESE MATTERSk. IT IS
TRUE THAT HIS OPPOSITION COLLEAGUES ISSUED ALL SORTS OF
QUALIFYING STATEMENTS AND DENIALSX) MR FRASER DID
HIS BEST TO COVER UP AND TALKED ABOUT WAYS OF " AMENDING"
MEDIBANK " AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME" K IT IS TRUE
THAT MR CHIPP WAS HUMILIATED AT HIS PARTY MEETING ON
TUESDAY AND FORCED TO DENY WHAT HE'D SAID ON SATURDAY.,
BUT THE DAMAGE HAD BEEN DONEr-WE WERE GIVEN THE CLEAREST
INDICATION YET OF THE OPPOSITION'S INTENTIONS, THEIR
HATRED OF MEDIBANK, AND THE SORT OF " ECONOMIES" THEY
WOULD MAKE IF GIVEN HALF A CHANCE. / 3 i
31
IT IS SIMPLY NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR MR FRASER TO
DENY WHAT HIS COLLEAGUE SAID AND HOPE THE WHOLE ISSUE WILL
BLOW OVER) WHEN IT COMES TO MEDIBANK THE LIBERALS
JUST CANNOT BE TRUSTED) Y YOU ONLY HAVE TO LOOK AT THEIR.
RECORD IN THE LATE 1940s AS A RESULT OF THE CHIFLEY
LABOR GOVERNMENT'S POLICIES, EVERY STATE IN AUSTRALIA HAD
A FREE HOSPITAL SCHEME. WHEN THE LIBERALS GOT IN, THEY
BROKE OFF THESE AGREEMENTS WITH THE STATES IN THE EARLY
1950S AND MADE PEOPLE PAY FOR THEIR HOSPITAL TREATMENT
IN STANDARD WARDS). THE ONLY STATE THAT KEPT ITS FREE
HOSPITALS GOING WAS QUEENSLAND AND THAT WAS DUE TO A
STATE LABOR GOVERNMENT NOW, OF COURSE, EVEN THE PRESENT
DISCREDITED QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT HAS ACCEPTED THE
MEDIBANK SCHEMEk( THEY HAVE FALLEN INTO LINE WITH ALL
THE OTHBR STATES WHO FOUGHT MEDIBANK FOR SO LONG) BUT
WHATEVER THE STATES MAY SAY OR DO, WE CAN BE SURE THAT IF
THE LIBERALS IN CANBERRA GOT A CHANCE TO DESTROY MEDIBANK
THEY WOULD DO SO, THEY HAVE DONE IT BEFORE; THEY
WOULD DO IT AGAIN, ./ 4
THE OPPOSITION AND THE PRESS TALK BLITHELY
ABOUT MEDIBANK BEING A FACT OF LIFE, THE SAME
POLITICIANS AND NEWSPAPERS THAT KEPT ON DENOUNCING
MEDIBANK WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO SET IT UP NOW
POINT UNASHAMEDLY TO ITS VIRTUES* DOES ANYONE
SERIOUSLY BELIEVE THAT THE OPPOSITION, WHICH FOUGHT
MEDIBANK TOOTH AND NAIL FOR SO LONG* COULD SUDDENLY
BE TRUSTED TO KEEP IT GOING? THEIR STATEMENTS
ARE A TISSUE OF CONTRADICTIONSk AT FIRST MR CHIPP
S. DENIED THAT HE HAD THREATENED MEDIBANK AT ALLk THEN
HE MODIFIED THIS TO SAY THAT ONLY THE HOSPITAL
O SIDE WOULD BE DROPPED( So FIRST WE HAD THE IMPRESSION
THAT IT WOULD ALL BE DROPPED, THEN THAT NONE OF IT WOULD
BE DROPPED, AND NOW THAT ONLY THE HOSPITAL SIDE WOULD
BE. DROPPED)( ONLY A WEEK BEFORE HE WAS CONTRADICTING HIS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY, ONLY A WEEK BEFORE
MR CHIPP WAS FORCED TO RECANT, MR FRASER HIMSELF REACTED
TO OUR BUDGET PROPOSALS WITH THE OBSERVATION
A STUPIDLY. INACCURATE OBSERVATION, AS IT
O HAPPENS THAT IF IT WEREN'T FOR MEDIBANK, THE BUDGET
DEFICIT WOULD BE ONLY HALF AS GREAT), CAN ANY RATIONAL
PERSON DOUBT THAT THE DESTRUCTION OF MEDIBANK IS VERY MUCH
IN THE MINDS OF THE OPPOSITION? WHENEVER THEIR GUARD
IS DOWN THEY MAKE THEIR INTENTIONS CLEAR. m
THE RECORD OF LIBERAL OBSTRUCTION AND HYPOCRISY
OVER MEDIBANK HAS BEEN UNBELIEVABLEA THEY FOUGHT IT
AT EVERY STAGE WHEN THE LEGISLATION WAS GOING THROUGH
PARLIAMENTK( THE PEOPLE HAD TWICE ENDORSED THE PROPOSALS
AT THE ELECTIONS IN 1972 AND 1974, YET THE OPPOSITION
VOTED AGAINST THE BILLS, EVEN AT THE SPECIAL JOINT
SITTING OF PARLIAMENT WHICH WAS HELD AFTER THE DOUBLE
DISSOLUTION-NOW THEY TALK ABOUT MEDIBANK BEING A FACT
OF LIFEk, EVEN AFTER THE MEDIBANK BILLS WERE PASSED
THE OPPOSITION BLOCKED A BILL FOR A SPECIAL LEVY TO
HELP FINANCE THE SCHEMEK YET NOW THEY GO ON ABOUT THE COST
O THE GENERAL BUDGET) NOW THEY SAY THAT AFTER ALL
THEY MIGHT JUST MIGHT LET THE LEVY PASS IF WE
PUT IT UP AGAINX THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY WANTe
BUT ONE THING IS CERTAIN: IF THE LIBERALS GOT
BACK INTO OFFICE MEDIBANK WOULD BE DEMOLISHEDK
ONE OF THE GREATEST SOCIAL REFORMS IN AUSTRALIAN HISTORY
WOULD BE DISMANTLED) HEALTH CARE, THE RIGHT OF ALL
AUSTRALIANS, WOULD AGAIN BE A SOURCE OF WORRY AND EXPENSE
AND INCONVENIENCE A BURDEN TO THE NEEDY AND
A PRIVILEGE TO THE WEALTHYX
ONE WAY AND ANOTHER IT'S BEEN A REVEALING WEEK
IN POLITICSX EVEN IN LITTLE THINGS WE'VE SEEN THE OPPOSITION
PARTIES IN THEIR TRUE COLOURS)( THE SAME MR-CHIPP, FOR
EXAMPLE, WAS REFUSING A WOMAN SENATOR THE RIGHT TO PLAY IN A
PARLIAMENTARY CRICKET TEAM, OTHER LIBERALS WERE BUSY ATTACKING
ANOTHER WOMAN IN CANBERRA A WOMAN APPOINTED ON HER MERITS
BY THE PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD TO A NEWWIDELY ADVERTISED POSITION
ON THE BOARD'S STAFF) HER CRIME WAS THAT HER HUSBAND ALREADY
HAD A SENIOR PUBLIC SERVICE POSITION, SO APPARENTLY SHE
WASN'T ENTITLED TO A JOB OF HER OWNX THEY'VE BEEN WHINGEING
ABOUT A WOMEN'S CONVENTION IN CANBERRAX THEY'VE BEEN SABLERATTLING
OVER TIMOR,, K IN QUEENSLAND WE'VE SEEN THE UTTERLY
DEGRADING PERFORMANCE OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT AND PREMIER
OVER THE SENATE VACANCY BLACKENING THE NAME OF A RESPECTED
CITIZEN UNDER PARLIAMENTARY PRIVILEGE, DESTROYING DEMOCRATIC
CONVENTIONS, DEFYIN6 THE WISHES OF THE LIBERALSIN CANBERRA7
AND SPLITTING THEIR OWN DISCREDITED COALITION IN THE PROCESS)(
IN NEW SOUTH WALES WE'VE SEEN THE LEWIS GOVERNMENT PLANNING
DRASTIC CUTS IN SUBURBAN TRANSPORT SERVICES AND EDUCATION)(
THERE IS NO ECONOMIC JUSTIFICATION FOR THESE CUTSX MY
GOVERNMENT HAS REPEATEDLY OFFERED TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY
FOR NEW SOUTH WALES RAILWAYS AND HAS MADE AVAILABLE UNPRECEDENTED
SUMS FOR URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND EDUCATION) ,/ 7
I LEAVE YOU WITH IEE* THOUGHT: IF THE
LIBERALS ARE PREPARED TO SLASH THESE ESSENTIAL
SERVICES WHEN THEY HAVE THE MONEY FOR THEM, IMAGINE
WHAT MR FRASER AND MR ANTHONY WOULD DO IN THE SACRED.
NAME OF CUTTING GOVERNMENT EXPENDITUREX THERE'D
BE NO END TO THE SLAUGHTER OF ESSENTIAL PUBLIC SERVICES.-
HEALTHEDUCATION, HOUSING, TRANSPORT, WELFAREX THE
DESTRUCTION OF MEDIBANK WOULD BE ONLY PART OF THE STORY(
WE SHOULD KEEP THESE THREATS IN MIND WHEN THE LIBERALS
ASSURE US THAT MEDIBANK IS A " FACT OF LIFE."