INDEPENDENT NEWS

King's Promised Card Review Only Talk So Far

Published: Fri 15 Jun 2001 09:56 AM
It's been seven weeks since Health Minister Annette King announced the Community Services Card review but nothing has yet been done to advance just what the future of the card will be, National's Health spokesman Roger Sowry said today.
National introduced the card to allow lower income people and beneficiaries access to subsidised health care.
Two months ago in what looked like a slip up by the Government it increased the threshold for beneficiaries' eligibility but didn't for the 48,000 low-income workers earning the same income.
"Annette King announced a review of the card after the unfair anomaly was pointed out but her answers to my written questions show there is no terms of reference, no decisions have been made as to who is reviewing the card and there are no plans for public consultation.
"This is looking like an announcement made at the heat-of-the-moment promise that seems to have no chance of being implemented.
"The Greens were promised by Annette King that the review would be completed by October, but given the lack of information on budgetary and policy implications of scrapping the card it is fanciful to think that she will have any sort of report this year," Mr Sowry said.
Ends

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