Portfolio Media Releases

PRIME MINISTER, WHO’S GOING TO PAY?

4th March 2010

4 March 2010

The Rudd government has today refused to rule out imposing higher taxes on Australian working families to pay for its unfunded health and hospital plan.

Yesterday in a joint media release with the Prime Minister and Treasurer, Minister Roxon stated that:

“Because the expected growth in health care costs outpaces the growth in GST revenues, the Australian Government will shoulder the burden of funding the rapidly rising health costs of the future.”

In other words, Australian taxpayers will be forced to foot the bill for Labor’s costly reforms.

On ABC2 News Breakfast this morning, when asked whether the government could rule out raising taxes to fund its health and hospitals proposal, Health Minister Nicola Roxon said:

“No, look we’re not ruling those sorts of things in and out…but there is a significant extra burden on Commonwealth expenditure over the 10-year period …and of course we will need to make announcements to indicate how that will be funded into that forward period.”

Speaking with Neil Mitchell on 3AW, the Minister cast little doubt over Labor’s new tax plans:

MITCHELL: 

No, no, but does that mean there will be tax increases, or there may be tax increases?

ROXON:

Well, it certainly means that there may be. We have to be able to fund the delivery of services into the future.

The Prime Minister, the Treasurer and Minister Roxon must immediately come clean with the Australian people and indicate what tax increases are being considered to fund Labor’s costly plan. 

Will the Rudd government be:

-          Increasing the Medicare Levy?

-          Introducing a new Health and Hospital Levy?

-          Imposing a costly co-payment for all hospital visits?

-          Slashing the services provided under the Medicare Benefits Schedule?

-          Increasing income tax in general?

No matter which shape or form they come in, one thing is certain - Australians will always pay higher taxes under the Rudd Labor government.

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