【澳洲新闻】Andrew Wilkie 有可能不再支持工党的私人保险返还削减计划

周星星1832

ANDREW Wilkie has withdrawn his guaranteed support for Labor's private health rebate cuts in a slap in the face for the government as it prepares to water down his pokie crackdown.

In a move that puts half the $1.5 billion surplus forecast next year further in doubt, the independent MP revealed he no longer supported means testing the private health insurance rebate and would go back to the drawing board.

"Because a lot of time has passed since then, I now need to look afresh at that issue and look afresh at the evidence I had then and see if there is any new evidence," he told The Daily Telegraph.

The switch could be seen as revenge against Labor, with Mr Wilkie's bid for mandatory pre-commitment laws slipping further away last night as he met again with Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Labor had hoped to secure passage of the insurance rebate changes in coming months, after the elevation of Peter Slipper as Speaker late last year gave them an extra vote in the lower house.

It had meant only one extra crossbench vote was needed to deliver the $768 million already factored into the budget next financial year but Mr Wilkie's withdrawal of guaranteed support now makes the job even harder.

Greens MP Adam Bandt is a supporter of the means test but his party yesterday reaffirmed it did not support a separate part of the package that would increase the surcharge on people who do not take out private health insurance.

Before Ms Gillard and Mr Wilkie met at Parliament House last night, Community Services Minister Jenny Macklin confirmed the MP's mandatory pre-commitmentlaws were on the rocks. She said the government wanted reforms but only those that would get passed by the parliament.

Mr Wilkie needs at least one extra vote and has been touring the country this week and yesterday claimed to have the support of Coalition MPs.

Liberal MP Mal Washer, who has been unhappy with Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and is retiring at the next election, yesterday refused to rule out crossing the floor.

An increasingly desperate Mr Wilkie said he would tear up his mandatory pre-commitment agreement with the government if it adopted $1 bets. But that is something the government has already ruled out.

He then said he would insist on the 2014 start date in his deal with the government before contradicting that position and saying he would be flexible with the timeframe.

Independents Bob Katter and Tony Windsor are believed to oppose the means testing. Rob Oakeshott is undecided. If Mr Wilkie reverses his previous commitment to the health reform, it would leave the vote at 73-73, giving Mr Oakeshott the deciding vote.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national/ ... 20587#ixzz1jwb14bv5

周星星1832

well done