Turnbull abandons privitisation of Medicare
PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull has abandoned plans to outsource the Medicare payments system, declaring "every element" of Medicare would remain in Government hands.
Since 2014, the Government has been considering privatising a swath of Government payments, including Medicare, as a way of modernising the system and saving money.
Labor seized on the idea, claiming it was evidence the Coalition was planning to sell off Medicare, and recently recruited former prime minister Bob Hawke to appear in a TV advertising campaign warning against privatisation.
Mr Turnbull has labelled the campaign "disgraceful" and said Medicare would "never ever" be privatised under his Government.
But in a sign the Coalition is getting concerned about Labor's campaign, Mr Turnbull on Saturday ruled out handing the payments system to the private sector.
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