Boothby e-newsletter - February 2012

February 17, 2012

Inside this edition:

• Government cuts the Private Health Insurance rebate for 2.4 million Australians
• Over $11,000 raised for cancer research and support
• Clean Up Australia Day
• Government overpromises and underdelivers in health
• In the media
• Community feedback
• Representing your interests
• Out and about in Boothby

... Read more »

Speech - e-health and Personally Controlled Electronic Health Records (PCEHR)

February 16, 2012

The Coalition is supporting of the implementation of a national e-health strategy and has not opposed the implementation of this bill.

We are concerned, however, that flawed implementation and a lack of forward planning may cause significant problems in the future. In particular:

• There has been no mention of the ongoing costs required to maintain, repair and replace the $100 million in physical hardware and assets allowed for the system;
• There is no inbuilt incentive for GPs to use and mantain the system;
• Concerns have been raised about the governance and structure of privacy provisions;
• The 1 July commencement date seems arbitrary and somewhat unrealistic, designed primarily to give the government something to announce.

For these reasons, whilst not opposing the bills, we have reserved our right to move amendments, pending the outcome of the Senate inquiry.

... Read more »

Department stalling on Redcliffe details

February 14, 2012

With the February Budget Estimates about to begin, the Department of Health & Ageing is still stalling on the details over the Redcliffe GP Super Clinic, with specific questions about the clinic still outstanding from the October supplementary budget estimates session.

Taxpayers have had over $13 million ripped out of their pockets for this clinic, I think they have a right to know how that money has been spent.

The question is whether these responses have been delayed by the Department or in the Minister’s office while she tries to hide the truth. ... Read more »

Speech - the Private Health Insurance rebate

February 13, 2012

This legislation represents almost $2.8 billion being ripped out of the pockets of Australians who hold private health insurance.

When Labor were last in power the level of people covered by private health insurance plummeted from 50 per cent of the population to a low of 30 per cent in the mid-1990s. We also saw premiums rise by almost 40 per cent.

Independant modelling has predicted that up to 1.6 million Australians will drop their cover over the next five years and up to 4.3 million Australians will downgrade their cover, resulting in an increase to premiums 10 per cent above what they otherwise would have.

We will see an extra 845,000 Australians admitted to public hospitals and an extra $3.8 billion in additional recurrent costs for the public hospital system.

There are 96,728 people in Boothby who are covered by private health insurance—72.3 per cent of voters on the roll have private health insurance, 63.3 per cent of voters hold hospital treatment insurance and 71.5 per cent hold general insurance for extras. Both Flinders Private Hospital and Griffith private hospital will also be affected.

Over 2,000 Boothby residents have signed a petition opposing this measure, this bill has already been rejected by the Senate on two separate occasions and I will be opposing this legislation in Parliament. ... Read more »

Delayed passage of Tobacco Advertising Bill just highlights Roxon’s hypocrisy

February 9, 2012

Today’s passage of the Tobacco Advertising Prohibition Amendment Bill, more than 15 months after it was introduced to Parliament just demonstrates the hypocrisy of Labor on tobacco control. ... Read more »