Libertarianz spokesman for health deregulation Richard McGrath says he and his party are appalled by the propect of free doctor visits for the great unwashed. He described the proposed scheme as "medical communism", and any supporters of the idea among his colleagues in the medical profession as "traitors". McGrath said his party will vehemently oppose any further shift away from a fee-for-service arrangement between patients and doctors based on the capitalist system of mutual contract.

"Capitation of general practitioners is just around the corner, where doctors will get a government subsidy based on the size of their practice. And with free primary care also looming, doctors will lose the right to charge a co-payment, thus completing the wholesale nationalisation of general practice as we know it," he said.

"The proposed full subsidisation of primary care will entail virtual enslavement of the country's general practitioners. Waiting times for appointments will increase; doctors will be over-worked; remuneration and job satisfaction will plummet. The end result will be as disastrous as our public hospital waiting lists," which McGrath describes as an insidious form of involuntary euthanasia.

"No-one has explained just who will end up paying for all these 'free' visits," said Dr McGrath. "Once more it will be a small group of individuals, the serial tax victims, from whom the government's fundraising agency will demand and seize wealth by threatening bankruptcy, asset confiscation and imprisonment. Once more, these people - whose crime consists simply of accumulating money too rapidly and not using it to close gaps in manner approved by government - these people will be forced to invest hundreds of millions of dollars of their own money to implement Soviet-style health policies.

In Canada and the United Kingdom socialised medicine has all but destroyed freedom and choice for doctors and their patients. Libertarianz doesn't want to see that happen in New Zealand."

ENDS

Richard McGrath * Libertarianz Deputy Leader * Fax 06 377 3070 * mcgrath@no-income-tax.com

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