Unions Tasmania today protested upcoming Medicare changes that take effect from 1 July. The event occurred outside the office of Liberal Senator Eric Abetz in Davey Street, Hobart. The office was unattended at the time.
Transcript of media conference with Unions Tasmania Secretary Jessica Munday, 30 June 2021.
Journalist – Elliott
Would you like to tell us what exactly you’re doing?
Jessica Munday
Sure. So union members and workers are protesting ahead of planned cuts to Medicare rebates for important surgeries and procedures that are supposed to come into place tomorrow. And the reason we’re concerned about this is because the costs of living, health care, food, petrol, those sorts of things, they’re all going up while our wages are going nowhere. And it’s something we can’t afford.
Journalist – Elliott
As you said before the fight for Medicare has been a long and ongoing one. How long have you been fighting to keep Medicare as strong as it needs to be?
Jessica Munday
Well, Medicare has come under sustained attack since the coalition were elected in 2014. If we remember back, there was a proposal that we defeated and were part of a community coalition to defeat GP co-payments. Since then, we’ve had freezes on the Medicare rebate, so the cost of GPs is going up. And now we’ve got these changes coming, being rushed through really, and not a lot of certainty.
People love Medicare, we love Medicare, the public loves Medicare. Australians are proud of a universal free public health system. And that’s what we’re here to defend always.
Journalist – Elliott
And what do you think the coalition’s perception of Medicare is?
Jessica Munday
Look, I don’t think the coalition particularly like Medicare, I think they’d like us to all have private health cover. The reality is most people don’t have private health cover and are increasingly not able to afford it as that’s another thing that keeps going up while their wages aren’t. So really, I think fundamental to our fair society that Australians are proud of, is free health care.
Tasmanian Times
Consumer organization Choice last week published research in which they found, basically, that private health insurance wasn’t worth the money for young people. Does that underline the need for a strong public health system?
Jessica Munday
Look, I think the pandemic has shown us that it’s never more important to have a public health system that is free. If we look at some of the international experiences where that isn’t the case, the outcomes are a lot worse. I think we also have to realise that, and this is an issue the unions have been talking about for a long time with low wages and insecure jobs for young workers, how can they afford private health cover? They just can’t.
Journalist – Elliott
(inaudible)
Jessica Munday
We know that Tasmanians are not as healthy as they could be, and that we need investment in our health care. The problems in our health system are widely publicized. So we are very reliant on Medicare here.
Tasmanian Times
You’re here today outside the office of Senator Abetz. What would you like the senator to do about this issue?
Jessica Munday
Despite being bumped to third on the ticket, Senator Abetz is still an influential Liberal in Canberra, and so we expect him to be standing up for Tasmanians. We are a vulnerable population because of our health outcomes, because of our low wages. So actually, all of our Tasmanian Liberal senators and all of the senators across the board should have a strong message for Canberra that Medicare needs to be protected for us.
Journalist – Elliott
Are you requesting meetings with the senator.?
Jessica Munday
We regularly meet with members of parliament, perhaps not Senator Eric Abetz. He doesn’t really like unions very much. Regardless of what Senator Abetz thinks of unions, this issue applies to all Tasmanians, though. And if he’s talking about representing the best interests of Tasmanians in our capital, then it should be about fighting for Medicare for us.
Journalist – Elliott
I’m just curious as to why the Education Union is here, why are they supporting…
Jessica Munday
Look, I think Unions Tasmania represents most unions across the across the state. And, like we stand beside them when issues perhaps affect their members more exclusively, like TAFE, they stand with the rest of us. And like I said earlier, Medicare and access to universal health care, it doesn’t matter what union you’re in, if you need to front up to a hospital or you need a procedure, you’re going to be relying on Medicare. So I think it’s just something we all care about.
