Australian voters have been promised a referendum on Medicare and tax as the prime minister kicks off the election campaign in his rival’s seat.
Day one on the campaign trail for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese began at a medical centre in Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s seat in Brisbane’s northern suburbs.
Flanked by Health Minister Mark Butler, Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Labor candidate for Dickson Ali France, Mr Albanese brandished a Medicare card and declared “this is what is at stake”.
Labor has been going after the opposition on health policy despite the Liberals heading off the attacks by matching several big-ticket promises, including an $8.5 billion commitment to expand bulk billing.
Mr Butler urged voters to focus on Mr Dutton’s track record, including an attempt to introduce a co-payment for GP visits while he was health minister.
“You’ve got a prime minister who’s committed to lower taxes and a stronger Medicare, against an opposition leader who is going to deliver higher taxes and American health care where every single person pays to see the doctor,” he said.
Mr Butler was also forced to explain why dental care was not included in Medicare, describing it as a pragmatic decision by former Labor leader Bob Hawke facing aggressive opposition from dental groups.
“Of course, it makes sense to have the entire body covered by a universal health care system, including the mouth,” Mr Butler said.
Labor remains committed to bringing dental care into Medicare but bolstering bulk-billing is the immediate priority.
The Greens have been pushing hard for oral and mental health to be covered by Medicare and hope to continue that fight in the next term of parliament.
“We saw the prime minister brandishing a Medicare card this morning, but he seems to have forgotten that your teeth and your brain are part of your body,” Greens senator Larissa Waters said on Saturday.
“People shouldn’t be priced out of the health care that they need just because they don’t have a massive credit card balance,” she said alongside her colleagues campaigning in Brisbane.
Mr Dutton has emphasised his financial support policies on his first full day on the campaign trail.
At a brewery in Brisbane, Mr Dutton spruiked his plans to halve the fuel excise and establish an east coast gas reservation to lower power prices.
“We can bring down the price of gas, not just for consumers but because it’s a big part of business and manufacturing and the production of electricity as well,” he said.
Mr Dutton confirmed his commitment to net zero emissions by 2050 and said more gas in the domestic market and building nuclear power plants was the way to get there without pushing up prices.
Labor holds 78 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives and would lose majority government if it had a net loss of three seats.
The coalition will be looking to boost its fortunes from the 57 electorates it holds to reach the required majority of 76.
The Greens are also looking to build on their 2022 electoral success, when they won four seats in the lower house.
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