Tiger baiting (Age)

[Go Richo 12]

How many times smokey have you been to the Doctors over the last 35 years using a medibank/medicare card and not have to pay?

For that one initiative, for that sole program Whitlam needs to be thanked by all of us who get cheap healthcare- And thats coming from someone who has voted for the Libs regularly over the last 15 years.

I do have to pay Ramps.  The furphy that Medicare = "free" is just that - a furphy.  I get a Medicare levy taken out of my tax, just like everyone else, so when I attend a doctor and the account is bulk-billed or I pay a gap, I am still paying.  And the sad fact is that the level of care I receive is usually directly related to the level of reliance of the said medical establishment on Medicare for it's income.  In addition I maintained private health insurance through that entire period because I had no faith in the Medicare system as it is (and still don't) to provide for me or my family in a period of medical necessity.  It's a bandaid measure that has fooled the masses into thinking they were getting quality medical support for free.  Nothing could be further from the truth at all levels.  And before this becomes misconstrued as an anti-Labor rant, I believe the Liberal party have been just as gutless in not implementing a fairer system that provides true quality care and in which we all pay our fair share.  Medicare has not been dismantled not because it works, but because the succession of governments since it's inception have not had any intestinal fortitude to tackle the real issues surrounding the provision of health services in this country.  Same as our taxation system.

The Gap you talk about Smokey is the extra amount the doctors put on top of the rebate and the they can live without that! It has nothing to with inadequate cover! Even private health insurance has a "Gap".The other thing is that Medicare is not about being "free" it is about a minimum level of health care that everyone can access regardless of wealth and not having to pay up front fees before you are cared for such as they have to in the U.S.

[Smokey]

The Gap you talk about Smokey is the extra amount the doctors put on top of the rebate and the they can live without that! It has nothing to with inadequate cover! Even private health insurance has a "Gap".The other thing is that Medicare is not about being "free" it is about a minimum level of health care that everyone can access regardless of wealth and not having to pay up front fees before you are cared for such as they have to in the U.S.

I know exactly what it is GR12, my wife works in the health industry and has done (public and private) for many years so I have a fair insight into it's workings, impacts and deficiencies.  I dare you to debate the "they can live without that" comment with any doctor.  Would you accept being told by a government department what your earning capacity will be?  Doctors spend nearly 10 years of their young lives as students, training to be medical professionals and when they pass they get to take the human responsibility of life and death of those who seek their knowledge and skills, accepting the financial risks associated with such advice in our 'modern' litigious society.  And you seriously believe that "they can live without that" is fair recompense for that effort and risk?  Talk to a doctor one day and ask him/her if Medicare is the best possible way for our government to provide quality - please note the emphasis on the word quality - health care for all Australians.  Accept some responsibility for your own health care and penalise a government who refuses to do the unpopular hard yards in fixing our current system.

[Carvels Ring]

Gough got me through Uni for free!!  Couldn't afford it these days. 

[Smokey]

Gough got me through Uni for free!!  Couldn't afford it these days. 

Everything under Gough was free CR.  Trouble was, someone had to pay and that someone was our economy which unfortunately for Gough had no spare cash to pay for it with.  No problem to Gough - offshore we go and borrow, borrow, borrow.  Hocking our children's and our country's future to the hilt.  Took us years and years of belt tightening, diverting funds from areas that really needed the assistance in those years like health and education.  Economic lunacy and incompetence at it's best, even if some of us could selfishly say "I did all right out of it".  Was not in our country's best interests, in fact it nearly broke us.  Sound familiar anyone?

[tiger101]

Gough years was pretty bad i think history shows that. just as i think history will show rudd's 1st term if he wins the next election as a term of massive blow outs money wise.

[Tigeritis™©®]

Paul Keating = Hawthorn supporter

[mightytiges]

1968-1983 was a forgettable period for Aussie politicians - Vietnam, OPEC oil crisis, constitutional crisis, and finally a government who refused to reform our economy. By the end of Fraser's reign the economy had grounded to a halt with unemployment almost double that than under Whitlam which says it all about how poorly the country was being governed  . The only good thing about those 15 years was Richmond winning flags .



Back to the thread title, Collingwood could have done with those little Chinese girls last night  . Karma is sweet Mr Premier  .

[Fishfinger]

Collingwood played Richmond in 6 finals in that time. Richmond won every one of them, including 2 Prelims and a Grand.
No wonder Johnny boy is keen to sink the boots in.

[mightytiges]

Collingwood played Richmond in 6 finals in that time. Richmond won every one of them, including 2 Prelims and a Grand.
No wonder Johnny boy is keen to sink the boots in.

A few footy journos have been traumatised for life as well   

[Owl]

Gough years was pretty bad i think history shows that. just as i think history will show rudd's 1st term if he wins the next election as a term of massive blow outs money wise.

  will be pretty lucky to show that seeing we just rode through one of the worst worldwide economic crisis without a scratch...be a pretty brave historian that could make that argument...perhaps Andrew Bolt could spin that for ya lol

[Go Richo 12]

Gough years was pretty bad i think history shows that. just as i think history will show rudd's 1st term if he wins the next election as a term of massive blow outs money wise.

  will be pretty lucky to show that seeing we just rode through one of the worst worldwide economic crisis without a scratch...be a pretty brave historian that could make that argument...perhaps Andrew Bolt could spin that for ya lol

Yeah but some prefer Abbott! Send the unemployed to the mines? If they can't work in the city how will they go in the mines? I am threatened by homosexuals? I tell verbal lies but not written ones?

[Tigeritis™©®]

The Dudd is dead.  Even his own party axed him.  Worst prime minister ever!!!!

And for all those supporters who think the unions don't run the ALP.... You are in denial.

[Owl]

Who do you think started the labor movement TIgra?  It was started by unions and the working class to represent them so that the Tories and rich didn't get to dictate terms.  Of course they have some influence, they also funded its creation, it is not a big secret that they created the labor party.  The sad thing is that the labor RIGHT have overrun it and destroyed everything it stood for.  Just like the original concept of the Liberal party was not originally to be hardcore right wing facist nutters.  Blokes like Fraser are probably the last of the true liberals.  Liberal thinking is dead in that joint it is overrun with little ratbags.  The unions however do not run the ALP, they do get some votes when it comes to elections.

[Smokey]

Blokes like Fraser are probably the last of the true liberals.

 

He was the biggest hardcore right wing fascist nutter of the whole damn lot when he was PM.

[Beren]

The Dudd is dead.  Even his own party axed him.  Worst prime minister ever!!!!

And for all those supporters who think the unions don't run the ALP.... You are in denial.

And who runs the Liberals?
Rich mining & newspaper magnates & their mates.
Boo hoo poor little us they're going to tax our billions of $$ of profits.
"It will cost jobs"... they trot this out all the time when what they really mean is it will cost us profits so we'll cut jobs to make sure we don't lose.