Canberra Liberals Leader and Shadow Treasurer Elizabeth Lee has hit out against Andrew Barr’s decision to enforce payroll tax on GPs in the ACT that will lead to Canberrans paying more to see a doctor.

Ms Lee said it is clear Andrew Barr has not listened to GPs with stakeholders like the RACGP and the AMA warning the Chief Minister that his policy will either bankrupt general practices in the ACT or make visiting a GP more expensive for Canberrans.

“We know this Labor-Greens government has an appalling track record when it comes to consultation, and they were warned that demanding clinics to bulk bill 65 per cent of patients was not realistic or achievable,” Ms Lee said.

“The reality is that GPs will now be faced with a grim choice. They will either be forced to pass the cost on to patients which will see Canberrans paying up to $20 more per consultation during a cost of living crisis that is impacting on so many already. Or they will be forced to cut services and perhaps even shut their doors.

“This is why I will be putting forward a bill next week in the Legislative Assembly to exempt clinics from the tax on GPs engaged as contractors and also reverse any retrospective application of the tax.

“If Andrew Barr is serious about ensuring all Canberrans have access to essential health care; if he is serious about addressing the cost of living pressures for Canberrans, he must support my bill,” Ms Lee concluded.

Shadow Minister for Health Leanne Castley said enforcing this tax on GP clinics will have repercussions on an already failing health system in the ACT.

“GP clinics play such an important role and are the hub of primary healthcare here in the ACT where we already have one of the lowest number of GPs per capita in the country,” Ms Castley said.

“We need to be doing all we can to attract more GPs to Canberra and this policy will make it even harder to achieve that.

“With our health system already failing, this Labor-Greens government should be doing all it can to keep people out of the emergency department in which GPs play such an important role,” Ms Castley concluded.