Hasbeen,

"Actually o sung wu I think bulk billing for most people is a ridiculous extravagance. People earning a reasonable wage should be able to pay for insurance or their doctors bill.

We all do in my town, health care card holders included. I think it costs $17 or there about for a normal doctors visit for health care card holders. We have no bulk billing doctors.

After a decade on steroids I am on a diabetes watch with twice daily testing with a little electronic contrivance, & regular testing for my heart condition. On my doctor visits I have to see a nurse practitioner for the sugar count & the doctor for the heart. I pay $31 with my pensioner health care card subsidy.

I would love to pay only $7, but appreciate the amount I am being subsidised now. I guess I will now pay another $7, & I certainly won't begrudge it.

I always go over the $1000 a year in medication cost, & then get the rest free. I have no idea what my pills would cost, if I was paying full freight, but I know it would be heaps. You only have to compare how much we pay for a little medication at the vets for a pet, to realise we are extremely well cared for & subsidised."

What you fail to grasp is that the only reason that you have been able to afford such good care for such a reasonable impost is that Medicare exists...what you also fail to grasp is that the $7 co-payment for doctors visits, pharmacy, pathology, x-ray etc, is merely a wedge - the first salvo in attempting to undermine universal healthcare in this country.

So although the $7 for each of these services may seem trivial to you (not so trivial for some who may have to choose between buying a necessity and visiting the doctor) the underlying tactic is to begin to white-ant Medicare.....exactly what the UK Tories have been doing, and which is the Abbott govt template for privatising govt services in this country.

Alright Poirot, there is no need to get all ancy. All I was showing that there is a swing towards minor Parties. The two major Parties are not happy with that & will lie their way into Government again. Whoever wins.

&, Do you know what? The gullible public will believe their lies, again. &, The Party diehards will believe their lies & support their Party, no matter what.

Stupid is, as Stupid does.

Has anyone got the message that both major Parties already know: that we cannot sustain the current welfare system as the population ages. Each taxpayer has to support a person other than family on welfare. How about doing it directly instead of through the Government. Then you would see who votes for who.

Josephus: Has anyone got the message that both major Parties already know: that we cannot sustain the current welfare system as the population ages.

Well for the record I worked 47 years & paid my Taxes. Unfortunately, unlike Mr. Bond & many others who have the means to reduce their Tax to $1 per year I had to pay the full amount with very little or no deductions available to me or was able to afford to have Superannuation Account. Just life insurance which worked out after 47 years to be worth one weeks wages. I raised 3 kids in the 70 & 80 when there was no "Special Benefits" available to the Working Class like Child Care etc. The only deductions for you Tax was your Union Dues.

So Josephus are you telling me that you don't like to pay for my meagre Pension after you had your parents pay for you Schooling, a Roof over you head, Food & Clothing, Medical & Dental, Pushbikes, Toys, Outings, Sports, Then they had to put up with your bad attitude, manners, abuse, etc. You bloody ungrateful wretch! You should be paying your parents back by providing everything they need for their old age.

It is necessary that govts address the changing needs of society - and internal reform is therefore always in play.

However, targeting the least able as the Abbott Govt has done - and to such an extent - cooks their goose before they've even started. What's the use of putting up a budget that is so diabolical it hasn't got a hope in hell of being passed?

And silly Abbott is now lying about his lies...he's starting to look like a right prat.

Josephus,

Check out this article about millionaires pay little or no tax.(and already financial advisers are instructing high earners how to get out of paying their measly 0.3 % in "this" budget)

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/budget-pain-not-for-millionaires-who-pay-no-tax-20140512-zr9o3.html

Nhoj, while he did pay his taxes, in fact we all do when we earn over a certain amount, but the trouble is, we have all been paying for one dollars worth of treatment, but drawing two.

Notwithstanding the fact that labor wasted so much, The whole problem is that our tax system has been made obsolete as it simply can no longer keep up with expenditure.

Now just on the doctor, I went a few weeks ago, long consultation they said, only because although my family goes there, I don't often so they had to collect my details. It cost me $103.00

Today I went back only to be to,d what the radiologist (hope that right) told me, I didn't have a broken rib. 3 minutes, $62.


trapdiocan, it's my understanding the only time they receive no support is if they refuse to learn. If this is the case, what's the problem.

O sung woo, I think you will find that not one tax increase will be effective prior to the next election. I could be wrong, but if I'm right, then how have they lied?

At the end of the day, the budget proposals are just a starting point and o doubt Tony is aware he will be negotiated down.

Best start at the top I say.