ACOSS strongly opposes Coalition plan to cuts to public service to fund much needed and welcome investment in Medicare.
ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie AO said: "ACOSS welcomes the Australian Labor Party's commitment to invest $8.5 billion to increase access to GP bulk billing, and the Coalition's commitment to match it. Reducing out of pocket costs for primary health care is a vital step to improve access and outcomes, including for lower income patients.
"The Coalition's proposal to fund the much needed and welcome investment in Medicare by cutting up to 36,000 jobs in the public service is grave cause for concern.
"The public service delivers a range of essential supports for people on low incomes in need including delivering income support, the NDIS, aged care and other essential services.
"The addition of 3,000 permanent staff in Services Australia in 2023 was most welcome because it reduced the unacceptable call wait times and backlog of payment claims.
"We must not return to a state where it takes months to get essential income support payments or people spend hours on the phone trying to speak to someone about their payment.
"Centrelink and other essential services are human services and need humans on staff to deliver them.
"ACOSS calls on the Coalition to not cut public service staff who deliver essential services to people in need should they form government after the upcoming election.
"We also call for permanent staff to not be replaced by contracted staff to deliver these specialised and often complex services.
"Services Australia and other essential government services must be invested in and supported as a critical piece of social infrastructure that all of us may need at some stage in our lives."
