Poirot,

You are really grasping at straws. You are in effect saying that a Medicare co payment is OK if the money goes back into Medicare.

Considering that the majority of money that goes into Medicare comes directly from tax (not the medicare levy) the money goes to medical research is additional money to that Labor would have provided.

If you are going to get silly about the T party, the Labor party is the party of big government controlling the means of production, similar to the communist party that killed millions.

Oh no you don't, SM.

Naughty, naughty, putting words into people's mouths.

My point was that all we've heard so far from this mendacious govt is that Medicare is supposedly unsustainable. Time and time again Dutton stands up to say things along those lines.

My question is that if the general message of this govt is "that we can't go on with an unsustainble system like Medicare, therefore we need a co-payment".....then why is the majority of their "co-payment" going to a confected research fund - and the rest to doctors to oversee the co-payment - and not to Medicare?

(My point being that Dutton's guff is merely a cover for the wedge to undermine Medicare)

Regarding the US Tea Party overrun Republicans...can you highlight for our benefit any major differences between that outfit and the IPA/LNP?

Oh no Poirot,

You don't get off so lightly. The point of the co payment is not to raise money, but by making patients pay a tiny fraction (about 10%) of the cost of a medical visit, the huge number of unnecessary visits can be reduced, and the costs instead of growing at 6% p.a. can drop closer to the CPI.

The majority of the money comes from consolidated revenue, so if the co payment does not go to medicare, the difference is made up from other sources. The difference between the Labor co payment and the liberal co payment is in effect that the Labor co payment was greater in real terms.

P, your ignorance of what the libs actually stand for is colossal. The libs and the T party have virtually nothing in common.

What is the difference between Labor and communists?

SM,

You're as slippery as this govt.

On the one hand, Hockey tells us it's a mere bagatelle - two beers and it won't make an ounce of difference to whether people see their doctor.

Amanda Vanstone reckons it's only the price of a tuna sandwich.

And on the other hand, you and they tell us it's to stop people going to the doctor in quite such large numbers or quite so often.

Reality is that it's the thin end of the wedge.

Make up your mind - or at least set Eleventy Joe straight.

No word on the similarity of policy agenda between the Tea Party Republicans and the IPA/LNP?

I been to an Army reunion over the week end & wow! have you got stuck into this subject or not. Wandering all over the shop..

nhoj: I first brought up Catholicism paedophilia,

How come it's always Catholicism paedophilia when there is just as much, if not more, from the C of E's & OPD, not to even touch on what Islam does to children.

poirot: What I don't do on this forum, runner, is to consistently paste fellow posters with whom I disagree as haters and immoral people simply because they disagree with me.

Yes you do. I can vouch for that.

paul1405: Why would any woman ever contemplate joining such disrespectful chauvinistic institutions, it defies belief.

It wasn't until the Combined churches Conference in Belgium around 1850 that women were declared "Human" & allowed to participate in religion. Can't put my finger on the exact name of the Conference or the Date.

paul1405: it all about support for humanity, not religion.

Unfortunately in supporting the Queue jumping Boat People one is supporting Islam, as the Majority are Islamic. they, & their Belief System ARE an extreme danger to any Western Democratic Society. Therefore in order to preserve the Australian way of life & Culture we must exclude this Vile Religion. That may seem inhuman to some, but to allow these people, even so call "nice ones," would be inhumane to Australians.

Dear mikk, it turns out that the fight on Manus started because the Iranians were pushing everybody around, them being superior to the Iraqis' & Afghan's. The Guards went in to sort it out & got attacked by both sides. Ok, one got killed, but in a War their are casualties & these people are still fighting a Sunni/Shite War which they are intent on bringing to Australia, See Kanimbla.

Loudmouth: their avoidance of linking, say, Boko Haram with Islamist terrorism (calling it something like 'a disaffected group', or 'separatist')

Ahh, the value of Political Correctness that makes picking up a turd by the clean end OK.

579: Australia risks seriously damaging its international reputation and being isolated in the global debate on climate change unless it rethinks its inaction on greenhouse gases, international experts have warned.

nhoj: If he remains PM for the next 2 years (unlikely indeed) he will become an international laughing stock, and Australia's reputation as a progressive country will be severely diminished.

In the affairs of the World. Australia? Who? Ordinary citizens in Europe & America don't even know we exist. I asked.

paul1405: I much prefer the terms "conservative" and "progressive",

I fail to see how that works.

"Conservative" Old, steeped in past, out of date traditions & unwilling to change or keep up with the modern changing World. What ever you're for we're against especially change to the status quo.

"Progressive" Change for change sake, mostly weed smoking weirdo & overly sensitive type that cry at the drop of a hat, on any subject. Against everything, so much so that they are even against anything they are for.

Left & Right? Doesn't really work either.

poirot: I am interested in "our" govt's attempts to alter the social fabric of our society - and if I address that with priority, so what?

That worries me too. It seems like there is some Hell bent idea to integrate Islam into Australian Society by some people & THAT is a BIG worry.

Foxy: If citizens or their representatives are denied access to
the information they need to make these choices, or if they are given false or misleading information, the democratic process becomes a sham.

Foxy, it has always been a SHAM. That's why they have the "30 year" rule & some "Never to be released." What happens behind closed doors, stays behind closed doors.

poirot: Not to mention this Govt's post-election policies bear almost no resemblance to their pre-election spiel.

No Govt's post-election policies bears any resemblance to their pre-election spiel. Never has, never will.