Trish Moran, Australian Labor Party
My name is Trish Moran and I hope to be part of a new Federal Labor Government, which will invest $2.9 billion in Medicare Gold, a plan for all Australians aged 75 years and over.
Mark Latham's announcement means a Federal Labor Government will take full responsibility for the hospital costs of Australians aged 75 and over from 1 July 2006.
Medicare Gold will deliver a better system for funding care to older Australians, who will no longer be left in hospital instead of an aged care home.
A total of 3.5 million pensioners will receive quarterly increases rather than half yearly increases.
Initially single pensions will increase $5 a fortnight and couples $8.
This includes aged, DVA, carers, disability, sole parent and wife-widow pensions.
In Government, Labor will
*
Invest $2.4 billion in a fairer schools policy, which will lift all schools to a decent national standard.
* Deliver a tax cut of up to $8 per week for taxpayers earning less that $52,000.
* Simplify family benefits
* Raise the threshold for indexing family payments
* Fix the family debt trap.
* Invest $3.4 billion in Medicare to raise bulk billing rates
* Establish Australian Dental Care investing $300 million, for pensioners and concession card holders.
* Secure retirement incomes.
* Deliver more child care places.
* Sign the Kyoto Protocol.
I look forward to delivering more opportunities to all residents of the Central Coast.
Trish Moran, September 29