THE BRUCE BULLETIN JULIAN HILL MP FEDERAL MEMBER for BRUCE Morrison’S Vaccine Mess and Quarantine Failures
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AUGUST 2021 THE BRUCE BULLETIN JULIAN HILL MP FEDERAL MEMBER FOR BRUCE Morrison’s vaccine mess and quarantine failures Scott Morrison has failed quarantine, failed the vaccine rollout, and failed in aged care. Leaving our most vulnerable Australians without the protection they so desperately need. Every COVID-19 outbreak from Scott Morrison promised that Australia has been facing the hotel quarantine is a direct result of four million Australians would be coronavirus pandemic since March Scott Morrison’s failure to put in vaccinated by the end of March. But last year. But Scott Morrison is only place a safe national quarantine he only managed to get just over half just announcing he’s developing a system. He has had more than a year a million doses administered, barely COVID plan. And he still hasn’t set to establish purpose-built facilities. an eighth of what he promised. any timelines or targets. Every day that goes by without Scott Morrison promised to purpose-built quarantine means fully vaccinate all 20 million adults Australians face more outbreaks in Australia by October. It won’t and more lockdowns. happen. Now he refuses to set Last November, Scott Morrison another target, to avoid being promised our community Australia embarrassed again. is at the “front of the queue” for Aged care workers and residents vaccines. But, in reality, we are at were all supposed to be fully the back of the queue. vaccinated by Easter. Yet the We are actually closer to the 100th Morrison government still can’t country in the world for vaccination even answer basic questions about rollout – the slowest rollout for any these vaccinations. developed nation. The rest of the world has a choice in vaccines – but not in Australia. We could have had as much Pfizer as we wanted, but the Prime Minister refused. The Morrison government put all their eggs in the AstraZeneca basket, and the chickens have come SEE INSIDE FOR PAGE home to roost. Last year they should have followed international best Assistance and information 2 practice and made deals for four or Medicare surgery funding cuts 3 more different vaccines. Healthcare going backwards 3 Without a safe, fast and consistent Robodebt scheme illegal 4 vaccine program, Australian lives Stay alert for scams 5 will be left in the lurch – while other Cashless pension card 6 countries with effective vaccine Cheaper child care plan 6 programs begin to return to normal Health services handy guide 7 life. Aged care crisis 8 2 JULIAN HILL MP NEWS Australia is falling behind Congratulations Australia is falling behind Julian can arrange congratulations for special birthdays and wedding under Scott Morrison anniversaries. Depending on the special occasion, messages can be arranged from the Premier of Victoria, Prime Minister, Governor of Victoria, Governor- General and the Queen for: l 90th birthdays l 100th birthdays l 50th wedding anniversaries l 60th wedding anniversaries l 65th wedding anniversaries If possible, please contact Julian Hill six weeks before the event. Pensions Guide Information for older Australians Julian Hill’s Pensions Guide booklet contains up-to- date details about current Our nation is going backwards under the Liberals, entitlements, payments and and falling behind much of the rest of the world. services. Including: Australia is less productive, more global rankings of key measures of l Age Pension unequal, more corrupt, less happy, Australia’s progress and wellbeing. l Aged Care more indebted, less affluent, and The Australian people deserve l Carer Allowance less trusting of public institutions a government that acts in their l Centrelink than when the Liberal Party interests. We must, and can, do l Seniors Health Card government was elected in 2013. better. l Concession cards Australia’s Global Performance: Contact Julian to get the printed l Grandparent carers Falling Behind report, collated by booklet posted to you, or download l HomeCare Packages Julian Hill, brings together publicly the report from www.julianhillmp. To get your copy of the guide, just available, reputable data and com/FallingBehindReport call Julian on 9791 7770, or email [email protected] You can also download the guide from the www.julianhillmp.com website. Wellington Rd Bruce Dandenong Creek Julian is here electorate Jacksons Rd to help you Following the 2021 Princes Hwy Boundary Rd As your representative in redistribution, Bruce EastLink the Australian parliament, now includes the BRUCE Harkaway Rd Julian Hill is available to suburbs of: Railway Line Princes Hwy assist you with anything Dandenong North, Doveton, Endeavour Hills, involving the government. South Gippsland Hwy Eumemmerring, Hallam, Julian is also here to help whenever Lysterfield South, Hallam Main Drain you, or your family, encounter Narre Warren and problems with government services. Narre Warren North. Please contact Julian anytime And parts of Berwick, Narre Warren-Cranbourne Rd Clyde Rd you want assistance, to discuss a Dandenong, Harkaway, local or national issue, or make a Mulgrave, Narre Warren Glasscocks Rd suggestion. South, and Noble Park North. BRUCE COMMUNITY NEWS, AUGUST 2021 3 NEWS Medicare Scott Morrison is cutting Medicare funding for vital surgeries Under the cover of the national focus on COVID-19, Medicare and healthcare Scott Morrison is trying to sneak through Medicare going backwards funding cuts to vital surgeries Australia has one of the world’s best universal healthcare that Australians need. systems, thanks to the Whitlam, Hawke-Keating and Scott Morrison is cutting Medicare Rudd-Gillard Labor governments. rebates for hip, shoulder, hand, and cardiac surgeries. That means people This system is complemented by the UK, Germany, France, Norway, optional private health insurance the Netherlands, Sweden and will now have to pay thousands of coverage. But under the Liberals, Canada. dollars or go without the operation. private health coverage has become And a 2017 Commonwealth Fund Australians who are already 36% more expensive, and coverage study ranked Australia just 7th out suffering are being punished even is at its lowest rate in 15 years – of 11 countries for equity. Australia’s further because of Scott Morrison’s putting pressure on the health health system under the Liberals ruthless Medicare cuts. system. under-performs for people on lower No Australian should lose their incomes. mobility because they can’t afford Global performance the necessary medical care. Costs to Australians The 2020 Commonwealth Fund The AMA warned the Morrison have never been higher government about the rushed nature International Health Policy Survey of these changes and that they can’t shows Australia now ranks only 8th Under the Liberals, it costs 37% be implemented without significant out of 11 high-income countries for more to see a doctor in Victoria than healthcare affordability. it did in 2013. disruption to the provision of Under Morrison, healthcare is Making cuts to Medicare is in the healthcare to countless Australians. less affordable in Australia than in Liberal Party’s DNA. Whenever the Liberals get the chance, they try to cut Medicare. Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull tried it, and now Scott Morrison is trying it too. All Australians should have access to medical treatment regardless of their bank balance or their credit card limit. Medicare is one of Australia’s greatest achievements. Labor built Medicare, and Labor will always protect it. But you can never trust the Liberals with healthcare. They have opposed Medicare ever since it began, and attack it whenever they can. 4 JULIAN HILL MP NEWS Robodebt scheme Liberals’ shameful, illegal Robodebt scheme Robodebt was a government scam targeting the most vulnerable Australians by sending them fake debt notices for Centrelink debts they did not owe. And it was Scott Morrison’s idea. The Federal Court has found that Robodebt was illegal and called it “a shameful chapter” in Australia’s history. There are no words to fully convey This wasn’t some message found the impact on people from these in their email spam folder. Federal Court fake notices for debts that they did It was an official letter, from the not owe. The tragic suicides been government of Australia demanding Robodebt well-documented in the media. payment of money they did not owe judgement One of the most difficult things within 28 days. that I have had to do, as a Member They had no way of disproving “The proceeding has of Parliament, is sit down with the claimed debt, and no way of exposed a shameful chapter numerous local people as they are paying it. in the administration of breaking down crying because of Does Scott Morrison know what this cruel scheme. the Commonwealth social a payment plan is like for someone security system and a being forced to ‘repay’ $20,000? massive failure of public The same government that administration. handed over billions of dollars of It should have been obvious to the JobKeeper to profitable companies, senior public servants charged with who used it to increase their profits, overseeing the Robodebt system were chasing vulnerable Australians and to the responsible Minister at for money they didn’t owe. different points that many social security recipients do not earn a stable or constant income, and The Federal Court has any employment they obtain may be casual, part-time, sessional, or found that Robodebt intermittent and may not continue was illegal and called it throughout the year. “a shameful chapter” in The evidence shows that the Australia’s history. Commonwealth unlawfully asserted such debts, totalling at least $1.763 billion against approximately 433,000 Australians. Then, including And yet, not one Minister in through private debt collection his government has been held agencies, the Commonwealth responsible. And do you know why? pursued people to repay these It’s because Scott Morrison started wrongly asserted debts, and this scheme.