The Victorian Nationals have ensured visits to the GP will remain affordable and saved bulk-billing as the Allan Labor Government announces a long-overdue scrapping of its insidious Health Tax.
In a significant backflip following months of campaigning from the Victorian Liberals and Nationals, Treasurer Tim Pallas today announced Labor will exempt contractor GPs and employee GPs who provide bulk-billed consultations from payroll tax.
Previously, Labor’s Health Tax applied payroll tax for the first time on contractor GPs in health clinics across the state, adding almost 30 per cent to the cost of visiting a doctor and threatening the financial viability of many clinics.
In October 2023, the Victorian Liberals and Nationals introduced a Private Members Bill in the Victorian Parliament to amend the Payroll Tax Act 2007 to stop the Health Tax.
The Victorian Nationals hosted around 30 GPs and representatives from peak medical bodies to hear first-hand the detrimental impact of Labor’s Health Tax.
“For months Labor ignored healthcare professionals about the dire impact on patients their insidious Health Tax was having.
“The Victorian Liberals and Nationals always stood against Labor’s Health Tax and this long-overdue backflip is a win for Victorians and for common sense.”
“Labor’s unfair Health Tax was hurting Victorians at a time when they are doing it so tough through a cost-of-living crisis.
Ms Benham added, “People who live in rural and regional Victoria experience poorer health outcomes than those in metropolitan areas and Labor’s health tax was simply erecting another barrier.
“The scrapping of this insidious tax is the right outcome for Victorian patients and GPs.”
