Tuesday, 29 August 2023

Payroll tax

Emma KEALY (Lowan) (14:29): My question is to the Minister for Health. With Labor’s record state debt set to approach $226 billion, the government’s decision to apply payroll tax on healthcare professionals will drive up out-of-pocket expenses and make it harder for Victorians to see a doctor. How many doctors will stop bulk-billing or leave private practice as a result of the government’s new health tax?

Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Health Infrastructure, Minister for Medical Research) (14:30): I welcome the opportunity to respond to the question from the member for Lowan because it gives me that opportunity to outline exactly how things are playing out in the world of primary care. Can I say this: primary care across the nation is broken, and the reason for that rests very clearly in the hands of the former Liberal–National parties, who neglected primary care when they were last in government for almost a decade.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: It is very disrespectful to the member on their feet to be interjecting like you are. I would ask the Minister for Health to continue, without interjections across the table.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: Thank you very much, Speaker, but I do welcome this newfound interest that those on the other side seem to have in primary care.

John Pesutto interjected.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition will come to order.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: Not a word did we hear from them when their mates were last in power in Canberra. They would not speak out then against the issues that general practitioners –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The Assistant Treasurer can leave the chamber for half an hour. Member for Eildon, you can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Assistant Treasurer and member for Eildon withdrew from chamber.

Emma Kealy: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the question was specific to Labor’s new health tax and the impact it will have on the number of doctors in the community. I ask you to bring her back to the question.

Jacinta Allan: On the point of order, Speaker, the minister was being entirely relevant to the question that was asked, because it went to the operation of the GP system. Secondly, it astonishes me that the members opposite could have even understood a word the minister was saying, because they were not listening. Their screaming across the table at the minister was such that it would be impossible for the member for Lowan to have taken this point of order.

James Newbury: On the point of order, Speaker, the minister had strayed from the question and was not being relevant, but points of order are not an opportunity either to make political points.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister was being relevant to the question that was asked. I would ask all members to show some respect to the member on their feet.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: Thank you very much, Speaker. Let me be clear that earlier this year the Treasurer and I met with representatives from primary practice. We met with the RACGP, we met with the AMA and we met with others, and we were very clear at that point, in that meeting, that when it comes to payroll tax absolutely nothing has changed. There has been no change. There has been zero change to the way in which the payroll tax operates.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Before I call the Premier, I cannot hear the minister’s answer.

Daniel Andrews: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister has been asked an important question. She is endeavouring to answer it. I am not 3, 4 feet from her, and I cannot hear a word she is saying because of the incessant interjections of the Leader of the Opposition, who still simply fails to appreciate that you ask the question and then you at least pretend to listen to the answer. The constant interjections, talking people down, talking over people, is a gross –

Members interjecting.

Daniel Andrews: And you make my point for me right now. Thank you so much. It is against the standing orders, and the Leader of the Opposition ought to be counselled.

John Pesutto: On the point of order, Speaker, in responding to the Premier’s comments: we ask a question, we want an answer. The question was simple: how many doctors will stop bulk-billing? It is a very simple question.

The SPEAKER: Order! First, I will make a ruling on the Premier’s point of order. I would ask members to cease interjecting. I cannot hear the answer. Other members cannot hear the answer. But also it is so disrespectful to the person who is on their feet. If it was you on your feet, you would not want people to be interjecting. Leader of the Opposition, you did not raise a point of order.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: Thank you very much, Speaker. I might take the opportunity to outline that our government has done more to support primary practice and general practitioners than any other government in the state. We have of course opened 27 priority primary care centres. It is the state government that is funding access to free health care through our priority primary care centres. Not only that, our government has announced and is delivering on our commitment to growing the general practice workforce here in Victoria, because the real challenge and the real problem is –

John Pesutto interjected.

The SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition!

Mary-Anne THOMAS: that 10 years of neglect has meant that primary practice and the general practice specialty is feeling real pressure, and that is because of the failure of the previous Liberal–National parties government in power for almost a decade –

Emma Kealy: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the question was specific to the Labor government’s new health tax. I ask you to bring the minister back to the question that was put.

The SPEAKER: I cannot compel the minister how to answer the question. The minister was being relevant to the question that was asked. The Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting across the table.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: The answer to the member’s question is clear: no state government has done as much to support general practitioners as the Andrews Labor government, and we will continue to do that.

Emma KEALY (Lowan) (14:36): The government’s decision to apply payroll tax on healthcare professionals will force sick Victorians to delay treatment. Dr Aziz, a GP in Melbourne, told the Age that Victorian patients are already:

… delaying treatment and presenting to hospital emergency departments rather than seeing their doctor.

Has the minister received any advice about the impacts of the government’s health tax on emergency department wait times?

Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Health Infrastructure, Minister for Medical Research) (14:37): Let me be very clear, because it would seem that the member for Lowan is wilfully not wanting to know the answer to the question. The answer is this: there has been no change to the way in which payroll tax has been applied in this state.

Members interjecting.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: I will take up the interjections further and say that it is indeed the State Revenue Office that makes these decisions. The Treasurer and I met with and outlined this to the RACGP and to the AMA. We gave them a letter. We provided them with clarity. Again, let me just be clear: no state government has done more to support general practitioners in this state than the Andrews Labor government.

Emma Kealy: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the question was specific to how the Labor government’s new health tax will impact wait times at emergency departments. I ask you to bring the minister back to the question.

The SPEAKER: The minister has concluded her answer.