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Nationals block Health Tax hike on GP visits in Gippsland being pushed by Allan Labor government

The Nationals successfully opposed Labor's Health Tax, which threatened to raise GP visit costs in Gippsland. After public and political pressure, Labor scrapped the tax, benefiting patients and clinics alike.

By news@gippsland - 3rd June 2024 - Back to News

The Nationals have worked to prevent the cost of Gippslanders visiting a GP from skyrocketing and save bulk-billing, with the Allan Labor government announcing a long-overdue scrapping of their proposed Health Tax. In a significant backflip following months of campaigning from The Nationals, Liberals and doctors across the state - Treasurer Tim Pallas has announced that Labor will exempt contractor GPs and employee GPs who provide bulk-billed consultations from payroll tax.

Following extensive campaigning, Treasurer Tim Pallas announced Labor will exempt contractor and employee GPs offering bulk-billed consultations from payroll tax, reversing a proposed 30% cost increase

Scrapping harmful health tax

Previously, Labor's Health Tax would have applied payroll tax for the first time on contractor GPs in health clinics across the region, adding almost 30 per cent to the cost of visiting a doctor and threatening the financial viability of many Gippsland clinics.

The Nationals Member for Gippsland South, Danny O'Brien said it was a win for common sense after Labor had ignored healthcare professionals for months about the dire impact on patients their insidious Health Tax was having. "Myself and my colleagues in The Nationals and Liberals always stood against Labor's Health Tax and this backflip is a win for all involved."

"Labor's unfair Health Tax was hurting Victorians who are already doing it tough amid a cost-of-living crisis under an Allan Labor government that can't manage money. The scrapping of this insidious tax is the right outcome for Victorian patients and GPs," he said. In October 2023, the Liberals and Nationals introduced a Private Members Bill in the Parliament to amend the Payroll Tax Act 2007 to stop the Health Tax.

Pictures from Danny O'Brien MP Instagram page.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com