FED: Democrats attack Colston over insurance vote = 3

AAP General News (Australia)
12-09-1998
FED: Democrats attack Colston over insurance vote = 3

Former Australian Medical Association president Dr Brendan Nelson said Senator Colstons
change of heart was not a surprise.

"Anyone who looks at the needs of Australias health care system, who looks at the 5.7
million Australians who do have private health insurance and understands what the government
is trying to do could do nothing but support it," Dr Nelson (LP, NSW) told reporters.

He said the Democrats still had ideological problems with the government providing
financial and political support to health insurance.

"Understandably, the Democrats have moved some way but lets hope that in the next day or
so they move across to accepting the governments position and the right, if nothing else,
that the government has to implement what people like," he said.

Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said he was not surprised by Senator Colstons cautious
support for the rebate.

"Im not surprised by anything the independents, the Greens or the Democrats do. Thats a
matter for them," he told reporters.

Mr Beazley said the Democrats compromise - rejected by the government - did not address
Labors concerns with the rebate, even though the Democrats sought a means test.

"Our problem is this, if youre going to do something in the private health area and you
dont cap premiums and you dont put yourself in a situation where youre doing something that
works about the gap, then youre not actually doing anything," he said.

Mr Beazley said the effect of the current rebate for low and middle-income earners had been
negligible.

It now appeared that the proposed 30 per cent universal rebate would cost $1.7 billion a
year, which was just for marking time, he said.

"Thats got to be dopey," Mr Beazley said.

AAP fh/cfm/br

KEYWORD: INSURANCE COLSTON 3 CANBERRA

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