No to the sale of Medibank Private
Prime Minister John Howard has vowed to sell Medibank Private should he win government after the next election.
"I am opposed to the sale of Medibank Private, and I know that the majority of Australians are against the sale of Medibank Private, with good reason," Ms Maria Vamvakinou said.
"Medibank Private belongs to its members and it should stay in their hands. The AMA has warned that selling Medibank Private will push up premiums, which means that affordable health care for Australian families will only be pushed further and further out of reach."
"Ensuring that all Australians have access to affordable health care, regardless of their income, should be a priority for the Howard government. But it's clearly not."
"Access to affordable health care is a right and not a privilege, and we have a responsibility to protect that right for ourselves and for the sake of our children. Ensuring that all Australians have access to adequate and affordable health care is a basic commitment that every Australian government owes to its citizens."
"The sale of Medibank Private is yet another nail in the coffin for Australia's public health care system, which this government has largely gutted over the last 10 years. It is part of a trend that the Howard government has always followed, one that puts private profits before the health and wellbeing of ordinary Australian's. Its extreme Industrial Relations policy is but another example of this."
"This government has turned its back on the idea that providing public health care remains one of its key responsibilities" Ms Vamvakinou stated.
"It is important that the local community register their opposition to the sale of Medibank Private just as other local communities around Australia are doing. In my electorate office, we have started up a petition that local community members can sign. People can also call my office to obtain a copy of the petition."
"Once all petitions are collected, I intend to present them to Parliament to make clear to the Howard government that Medibank Private is not for sale, especially if this will be at the expense of ensuring all Australian families have access to affordable health care" Ms Vamvakinou said.
The sale of Medibank Private will be bad news for Medibank Private policy holders and raise the cost of private health insurance for Australian families.
It also raises legal issues about ownership and potentially threatens the sustainability of the private health insurance market.
Media Contact: Alex Kouttab 0417 541 465
