Following widespread opposition to a proposal to reintroduce Medicare co-payments, Socialist Alternative and the Young Greens organised an emergency protest in Sydney to defend free healthcare.
A crowd of around 400 carrying banners, union flags and hand drawn placards gathered at the Town Hall on Saturday 4 January. They heard from City of Sydney Greens Councillor, Irene Doutney, who called for continued opposition to Abbott’s “razor gang” agenda.
Referring to the notorious lack of affordable healthcare in the US acting Greens leader Richard Di Natale warned: “Balancing the books on some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in this country ... will take us down the US track.”
Annie Butler of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association spoke of the difficulties that healthcare workers already face in dealing with an underfunded healthcare system, and insisted that “healthcare is a right, not a privilege”. “Medicare is not for sale!” she announced, to cheering and applause.
Sally McManus, Secretary of the Australian Services Union (NSW/ACT) also addressed the rally, reminding demonstrators of the origins of Medicare and its predecessor Medibank. “Medicare is a principle and a promise, a win of the labour movement and the unions in this country.”
Sarah Garnham, Socialist Alternative member and National Union of Students Education Officer spoke of the Liberals’ rule-for-the-rich agenda. “Governments of every stripe have not said we will cut our military budget, they have not said they will raise taxes on the rich. Instead they will screw the poor into the ground…So we need to be prepared to stand up and fight,” she said.
The next Sydney action to defend Medicare has been called for 1pm Saturday 15 February at Sydney Town Hall.
