Bill Shorten can provide no detail on his latest multi-billion dollar promise in the campaign and runs the risk of a budget blowout.
In announcing his latest promise on dental care, Bill Shorten admitted ‘there was more work to do’, as to how it was going to be implemented.
What have you been doing for six years Bill?
His claim that it will cost $2.4 billion doesn’t stack up.
In promising three million seniors $500 a year for dental care, the cost would be $6 billion over the next four years.
Today’s announcement is another example of Bill Shorten not properly costing his policies.
He has already been caught out on his much promised cancer plan, not knowing how many Medicare items would be covered. There are 421 cancer related Medicare items and aligning them to the Australian Medical Association recommended fee, would blow a $6 billion hole in his budget.
When asked four times today by reporter Chris Uhlmann on the cost of his election promises, Bill Shorten refused to answer.
This latest promise also runs the risk of a major blow out, with no information on how it will not lead to higher dental costs and a profit windfall for dental companies, which is exactly a repeat of their pathology scandal.
It also runs the risk of driving people out of private health insurance, which will drive up premiums and put further pressure on public waiting lists
Labor doesn’t support private health insurance and has given no commitment to retaining the private health insurance rebate which it slashed last time it was in government.
Undermining private health insurance would impact 13 million Australians.
In the end, when Bill Shorten was Assistant Treasurer, Labor ran out of money to pay for new medicines.
