A fake crisis

THE reports that the Federal Government has received recommendations to abandon universal health coverage provides no better evidence that the Liberal Government is using false claims of a budgetary crises to bring about ideological social change.
Australia has one of the lowest rates of debt to GDP of any developed nation. Net public dept in Australia is 11 per cent of GDP. We have all heard that old line from conservative politicians that Australian governments needs to run budgets like our household budgets and live within our means. The point is that the vast majority of Australian households run deficit budgets.
If you are paying off your home, you have a mortgage that means you have debt. Your ability to service that debt depends on what percentage of your income is required to pay for it.
According to the IMF Canada has a net debt to GDP of 34 per cent; USA 88 per cent; Japan 134 per cent; and Australia 11 per cent.
The fact is that according to this Liberal Party Government any debt is a crisis.
More disturbing about the healthcare recommendations and I concede that I have not actually seen the document and am only going on press reports, is that the recommendation actually talks about going over to the American system. The frightening aspect about the American healthcare system is that if you get sick you could end up destitute and homeless.
I don’t know about you but that just makes me sick. In my opinion healthcare is a right, not a privilege.
Peter Summers,
Pakenham.