Ross Gittins is right that GP bulk billing has become an election plaything, with massive offers of funding from both sides and Peter Dutton even promising to slash public service jobs to pay for it (“To make Medicare healthy again, our leaders must treat these worrying symptoms”, February 26). When he employs expensive contractors to cover the service gaps, we GPs will be managing the mental health crises that ensue. Our biggest frustration is the politicisation of bulk billing. It’s held up as a noble goal and yet is so inadequately funded, even with the new incentives, that it engenders rushed medicine of poor quality and terrible Medicare waste – “would you like me to check little Johnny’s ears while you’re here?” Over-servicing and five-minute medicine is the only way for fully bulk billing practices to stay viable. Bulk billing needs to have a proper rebate (about double what is on offer) and be targeted to those in need, not splashed around for political gain. Metropolitan areas are a particular problem as the larger incentives always seem to head to the country, disadvantaging urban dwellers on low incomes. GPs are skilled professionals taking on significant responsibility and running very expensive clinics and employing expensive staff. Undervaluing us results in low GP numbers and burnout. Yesterday I heard an ABC radio host ask Health Minister Mark Butler if GPs can be forced to bulk bill. I was so depressed and horrified by that. Should we force our plumbers and electricians also to cut their fees by 50 per cent while we’re at it? Lastly, what about specialists? They charge like there’s no tomorrow, yet both political parties are silent on that one. Lucy France, Cronulla

Your correspondent’s doctor, who sticks with bulk-billing because he doesn’t need to charge a gap fee, must already own his premises and not have any home mortgage left (Letters, February 26). The costs of running a practice have risen dramatically. I sold my practice 25 years ago because I was having to pay other doctors to sit around during quiet times, plus there was rent, multiple insurance policies and all the hidden extras the public doesn’t see. If one charts CPI with Medicare rates for GPs, one would see the discrepancy. Doubling the bulk billing rebate still wouldn’t quite make it equitable. It’s because successive governments have seen GPs as easy game and withheld CPI increases. As GPs are the most efficient use of the medical dollar by far, it’s impossible to see why this underfunding has continued unabated. No wonder medical students all want to be specialists. Payroll tax has added to our problems. Ashley Berry, Wollongong

Is Peter Dutton’s promise to match Labor’s Medicare changes like John Howard’s “non-core promises”, or Tony Abbot’s “no changes to pensions, Medicare or Gonski school funding”? Abbott changed pensions in his first budget, in my case costing me a third of my income, tried to introduce a Medicare co-payment and completely ignored Gonski. If you think Dutton has any intention of keeping this promise, I have a bridge to sell you. Jim Brokenshire, Bowral

Profitable portfolio

Peter Dutton’s history of property speculation shows the utter folly of the decision by those great economic managers, John Howard and Peter Costello, to reduce the capital gains tax by half (“Dutton’s $30m worth of real estate deals revealed”, Feb 26). Instead of people investing in shares as intended, housing became a means of wealth creation, not shelter. Even a Productivity Report in 2004, recommending winding back the capital gains tax discounts to address spiralling house prices especially for first home-buyers, was shelved because they feared public anger. An absolute disaster for thousands of renters, the young and social cohesion. Dutton should never be allowed near power – instead of fixing a massive social problem, he’s part of it. “High priced houses do not create wealth; they redistribute it,” as Alan Kohler wrote in his Quarterly Essay, “The Great Divide”. Sue Young, Bensville

It would appear that Mr Dutton has gainfully invested in property over 35 years, which is entirely his prerogative, yet it brings up the question of the chronic housing shortage. Governments have been throwing money at housing solutions for years with modest effect. Perhaps more attention should be paid to what is a very Australian mindset about property, namely that you make money from it. Houses/apartments are dwellings, which in turn are for living in, providing shelter, not making money from. In addition, one awaits a government with sufficient testicular fortitude to abolish negative gearing. The so-called “Australian dream” of owning your house is now a bad dream, a delusion, and politicians should not peddle this as an aspiration. Neil Buchanan, Waitara

When Anthony Albanese’s purchase in Copacabana came to light, Peter Dutton was very reserved in his commentary, avoiding the opportunity for a free kick. Honourable? No. Now we can all see it was a case of not throwing stones in a glass house. Glenn Johnson, Leura

Peter Dutton’s history of property investment certainly makes Anthony Albanese’s holiday house purchase look insignificant. Nola Tucker, Kiama

So that’s why Dutton so vehemently opposes reforms of negative gearing and capital gains tax. Andrew Macintosh, Cromer

Memo to self. Never engage Dutton in a game of Monopoly. Rob Mills, Riverview

Public will pay for election promises

Your editorial is spot-on in asking how either of the two main parties will pay for their election promises (“Election spending promises are fine, but how will we pay for them?” February 26). The answer, of course, is from our tax system, which is currently not fit for purpose. As former Treasury secretary Ken Henry has claimed, it is currently based upon “intergenerational larceny”, yet neither party has suggested that it is in dire need of a complete overhaul. Columnist Ross Gittins has called out its inadequacies many times and independent MP Allegra Spender has produced a green paper on it, but both parties are just ignoring the problem. If we are to pay for these worthwhile promises, we will need to increase our tax haul. In just one example, we are failing to tax the mining and gas industries adequately, despite the mining industry being largely foreign-owned and the gas industry paying less money than that raised via the beer excise. Hopefully, at the next election the voters will make it clear to the main parties that they need to develop backbones and ensure that our tax system is appropriate for our future needs. Peter Nash, Fairlight

Death and taxes

It’s a bit rich for Thomas Walker to be promoting an inheritance tax after having achieved economic security himself, thanks to a tax-free inheritance (“Inheritances are destroying the ‘fair go’. It’s time to tax them”, February 25). Death duties by any other name still stink. Australia dealt with this in 1981. It was deeply unpopular then, and it would take a brave politician to raise the issue again, especially at election time. Graham Lum, North Rocks

Super shiny

Labor and the Coalition have long disagreed about compulsory superannuation. Coalition leader Peter Dutton even supported the idea that people should be able to withdraw from their super accounts well before retirement to buy a house (“Dutton’s $30m worth of real estate deals revealed”, February 26). It’s ironic, then, that in another article the real magic of Australia’s superannuation scheme is revealed (“Australian retirees tipped to join world’s wealthiest”, February 26). The scheme was introduced by Labor long ago, to have successive conservative governments rail against it. It is clear that because of this scheme we are the only OECD country where government spending on the old age pension is falling – and will continue to fall. In addition, Australian super funds’ investment in American infrastructure projects will soon exceed a trillion dollars. This fact is being used to lever support in the US to drop proposals by Trump for import duties on Australian goods. Australian super funds invest in much-needed infrastructure in Australia as well. The scheme may need some adjustments from time to time, but the real gem of compounded investment is now shining through.
Paul Gannon, Coopers Shoot

Bring back the Libs

I’m a Labor voter but Premier Chris Minns is a huge disappointment, a mate of developers and Clubs NSW, more interested in winning the argument than settling the rail dispute – and what happened to the early promise of having a Building Commissioner to ensure, finally, compliance with standards? There is no way the NSW ALP will be getting my vote. I never thought I would say it, but bring back the much more progressive previous Liberal government. Michael McMullan, Avoca Beach

Leaky boat

Stephen Bartholomeusz’s column on Donald Trump’s displeasure at China’s dominance in merchant shipping made no reference to Australia’s total economic reliance on such shipping (“Trump eyes a fresh China assault that could spark trouble on the seas”, February 26). Are we in a sinking boat? Micheal Traynor, Bellambi

Stephen Bartholomeusz writes: “America’s shipbuilding capacity is almost entirely devoted to its own navy, but is characterised by limited facilities, labour shortages and cost and time overruns.” This does not augur well for AUKUS sub building. Hopefully, Australia’s recent down payment of nearly a billion dollars will help. John Conlon, Hunters Hill

Class divide

Correspondent Bill Keirath says public schools have to offer the best education available or parents will always choose private (Letters, February 26). Giving kids equality of opportunity and the best education means funding education fairly for all Australian children. The thing is that public schools are about the kids, while private schools are about the parents. We currently divert massive amounts of public money to private schools, thus encouraging wealthier parents to opt out of this social compact. If, as a nation, our aim is to not let wealth entrench disadvantage, this is what does the damage. David McMaster, Mosman

Bill Keirath totally misconstrues the aim of the federal government for eduction in this country. It may say it supports the public school model, but governments of both persuasions ignore the available data on the funding needed by favouring the more affluent of our society through the overfunding of private schools. I have no argument about private schools existing and operating in this country – but they should not get one cent of funding from the public purse. As soon as they do they are public schools with the ability to discriminate on who they choose to enrol. Peter Vernon, Sawtell

DOGE days

If Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency was really about efficiency, instead of asking millions of federal employees what they do every day, it would ask the far smaller number of managers what their underlings do (“Genius move: Trump praises Musk’s justify-your-job order to federal workers”, February 25). Any manager who doesn’t know the answer would clearly be expendable. It would also make more sense to eliminate extraneous middle management than the people who do the actual work. Richard Murnane, Hornsby

Trump’s heroes

The White House says it will decide which media outlets can cover Donald Trump. Meanwhile, Vice President J. D. Vance has recently returned from Europe, where he lectured his audience about freedom of speech. At the same time, the Trump administration is busy banning books and refusing admission to media outlets it doesn’t like. That’s only appropriate, since Russia’s Putin is a hero to Trump, who is not big on irony. No, it ain’t funny. John Macdonald, Kings Langley

With the US voting in line with its new allies Russia, China, North Korea and Belarus at the UN, do we now refer to it as a “pariah state”, along with its new allies? Also, how can we continue with AUKUS and intelligence sharing with America when it is now realigning with pariah states? Rhys Thomas, Springwood

Henry Kissinger said that it may be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be America’s friend is fatal. He also observed that America didn’t have friends, only interests. We Australians are slow learners, but maybe Trump will teach us to listen to Henry. Cavan Hogue, Haymarket

Dear Donald…

Dear Donald, I’m very impressed with your ability to tackle every decision as a potential deal (“Macron corrects Trump on Ukraine”, February 26). On that score, I’m just off the phone from Chairman Xi. Seems a good bloke when you get to know him better, and he’s also taken a leaf out of your book. Right off the bat he offered to take all the aluminium we can sell him at full market rate. Also offered a 40 per cent discount on our nine-sub deal, with first delivery next year. He’s particularly interested in your share of our Pine Gap asset, and will cover any refurb costs on the old girl. Giving it serious thought. Nothing personal of course, but “a deal’s a deal” and, like you, we have our own MAGA objectives. Any extra funds will be particularly handy as we intend to redouble our carbon reduction efforts now that you’ve decided on a different path. Speak soon. Anthony. Peter Thomson, Brunswick (Vic)

Eye in the sky

Why was it up to an observant Virgin pilot to inform us that China was on our doorstep (“Virgin pilot first to spot three Chinese warships off Australia”, February 25)? Was our Canberra defence system offline, or don’t we have one? Rosalind Ward, Balmain

If the shoe fits

Maybe it is because of the ongoing letters appearing about Birkenstocks, but I have recently noticed that they have caused a brief moment of intergenerational agreement. Am I the only one currently seeing young fashionista-influencers and old daggy dads both wearing Birkenstocks with white tennis socks? Jenni Stapleton, Kiama

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