Apologies for not making the Editor’s Note a regular feature on the movie boards. But it’s been awhile since I have had anything important to say. Before I get to far into this piece I would like to take the opportunity to say to the not so honourable Prime Minister Tony ‘the mad monk’ Abbott and his coalition government Medicare is just fine how it is, just because you have an idea doesn’t mean it’s a good one. Drop the $7 co-payment. Now granted making reference to the introduction of the $7 Medicare co-payment might be a little late, but I only just saw the inspiration for my comments.

Just recently while out and about I saw a man performing what could only be described as impromptu panel beating on the driver’s door of his car with his foot, because it would not close properly it looked like there was something seriously wrong with the door’s hinges. To be able to get the door to close properly he actually had to tie it closed with a piece of rubber tube. I thought about taking a picture of his car to illustrate this fact, but could not bring myself to and I was not brave enough to ask to be allowed to take a picture of his car. Partly because the full idea for this article did not come till he drove off. We had a brief conversation while I was getting into my car. He asked me if the Holden Statesman I drive used to be Dad’s car, I told him no that it was mine, he thought that my car had a hand me down look to it. I mentioned that they are no longer manufacturing Statesman’s anymore and he said that it was a shame that there were no more ‘Australian’ cars being manufactured anymore, he also said that there was only ‘plastic crap’ for sale now. Looking back on the conversation I would have to agree with him, it is a shame that Australia no longer manufactures any cars.

Now how does this man’s driver’s door relate to the $7 Medicare co-payment? Easily. How many of you out there know somebody who will put off going to the Doctor for as long as humanly possible? I know I have more than once. What happens when that same visit to the Doctor is going $7 more expensive? How much longer is that same person going to try and put off going to the doctor’s? Would that $7 Medicare co-payment cause you to think twice before going to the Doctor? Now we come back to that man and his driver’s door. Now maybe, hopefully the damage to his door was only recent and he was waiting till Monday he got his car door fixed, but it did not look like the rubber tube was a temporary fix.

Mr Abbott don’t cause people who can’t afford your $7 Medicare co-payment resort to a temporary fix like that rubber tube holding that driver’s door closed. Get rid of the $7 Medicare co-payment.