The Palaszczuk Government’s new Patients’ Tax will add further pressure to the Health Crisis and Queenslanders struggling with the cost of living.
The Treasurer’s new tax was dropped on the eve of Christmas without any consultation or modelling when the Queensland Revenue Office unveiled a new public ruling.
It has re-interpreted the law so that general practice and other health practitioners will now be subject to payroll tax.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has labelled the change an “illogical tax grab” and warned that general practices will have no option “but to pass on the costs to patients”.
With inflation in Queensland at 8%, this new tax will place more pressure on already over-stretched household budgets.
The AMAQ has described it as a “crippling patient tax that will mean the end of bulk-billing in Queensland”.
Doctors warn after-hours practices will be particularly vulnerable to the new tax and could wind back their hours as a result.
Shadow Treasurer David Janetzki said the new tax will have serious consequences for Queenslanders across the state.
“This new stealth tax will drive up patient fees and emergency department presentations and drive down bulk-billing,” Mr Janetzki said.
“We have been warning of its consequences ever since we raised it in Parliament in November last year.
“It’s a recipe for disaster but unsurprising given the Palaszczuk Government’s recent actions.
“Just last year, Cameron Dick proposed a new renters’ tax without consultation or modelling that would have driven up rents and driven down investment. “With households and hospitals under more pressure than ever, this new tax shows how out of touch the Palaszczuk Government has become.”
To stay up to date click here to follow me on social media.
