Victorians will be left without vital healthcare services if the Andrews Government doesn’t withdraw its plan to impose a new tax on General Practitioners (GPs).
Today, the State Opposition hosted a meeting of GPs to hear first-hand about the impact Labor’s new Health Tax will have on Victorians.
Labor’s Health Tax would mean backdated payroll tax is levied on local GP clinics, resulting in tax bills of up to hundreds of thousands of dollars and placing the ongoing viability of some clinics at serious risk.
This new tax will ultimately flow through to higher out-of-pocket costs for patients and will mean fewer bulk billing clinics and more demand on Victoria’s hospital and emergency health systems.
Shadow Minister for Health, Georgie Crozier, said: “GPs play a vital role in providing health care to millions of people across Victorian communities.
“This is a desperate cash grab by a Government that is broke. It will have huge ramifications for Victoria’s beleaguered health system and leave Victorians without vital health services.”
Last week, the NSW Government committed to pause payroll audits for GP practices for a period of 12 months to allow further consultation and consideration of the impacts of this new tax.
Shadow Treasurer, Brad Rowswell, said: “Under Labor, Victoria is broke and if implemented, this new tax will have enormous consequences for small GP clinics and millions of Victorians right across the state.
“The Victorian Liberals and Nationals oppose Labor’s Health Tax and call on the Andrews Government to listen to healthcare providers and not proceed with this unfair and ill-considered tax.”
