OPINION: The Albanese government’s Medicare shake-up will be undercut by the Palaszczuk government’s GP payroll tax grab.
acknowledge the need for more general practitioners, Queensland Labor is simultaneously implementing policies that make a career as a GP in Queensland undesirable.
By imposing a new tax on the work of GPs, who are largely sole practitioners or small businesses sharing space and support services, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is making already marginal medical practices, particularly in rural, regional and remote parts of the state, cross the threshold into becoming non-viable businesses.The likely result is the withdrawal of GP services from already under-serviced parts of the state.
The taskforce recommended work to fast-track the supply of GPs, rural generalists, nurses, midwives and other medical professionals. Yet, another administrative and financial burden on general practices that already face inflation, price-sensitive customers struggling with the cost of living, frozen Medicare rebates and high demand, will only deter medical graduates from pursuing a career in general practice.
About 60,000 people wait in line right now for elective surgery, and 272,000 wait in line to see a specialist. The last LNP health minister, Lawrence Springborg, got the surgery waiting list down to zero.
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