by Hans Tholstrup, farmer, futurist, Australian legend

The expense of being a practising libertarian!

It is a little frustrating to look at your tax bill and see that you pay over 8000 in Medicare tax — yet you cannot have a medicare card.

“Why not?” you ask. As I never used it after getting one as we all did. My only visits to the doctor was for my flight license and I thought I should pay for that as it was not a medicare thing, so I did.

My doctor told me to get a new card. When I contacted the medicare official, he said, “This card has never been used, so you live overseas.” I said, “No I don’t.” He said, “Yes you do.”

He said, “I want 5 years of power bills or rates.” I said, “I don’t know where they are, but I have the tax bill that says I pay more than 3000 dollars in extra medicare payment, can I bring that?” “No,” he said, “I want 5 years of power bills or rates.”

I said, “Due to the fact that boat people get a card when they arrive — I have no intention of humouring you, so get fucked and put that in the computer.” He said, “That will certainly not get you a card.” I said, “As I now feel better, I don’t need one.”

We get older, I do have some medical expenses and the last one was 14000 — overseas, so I suppose I saved more than 50% and my travel insurance may even pay.

We pay tax — but we get no pension, if we saved and created wealth, which is then used to create jobs and pay even more tax.

I pay the double tax on medicare as you cannot gain a medicare private or any other health insurance if you have no medicare card.

I sent my local member, Brendan Nelson, a letter, but received no answer, and when he sent me a congratulation letter when I received an AM, I sent him a letter that I would rather have an MCC (MediCare Card) as I could use that and I did pay the tax for that, but had little use for a medal I can only use when going to formal functions, which I never do if I can help it. No answer yet again.

It would be nice to die having taken nothing from Australia from the time I arrived as a young man from Denmark. Nothing, that is, apart from the opportunity Australia gave me.

And as I am a practising libertarian, what can I do? I am against medicare, as it encourages what it subsidises and should be preventing, makes the medical cost twice as expensive as is needed, and doctors become credit card swipers rather than humanitarians. The good thing is that many doctors still do the job for satisfaction rather than mere money.

But listening to the Labor Party and the fair society they aspire to as it makes it easier to play Robin Hood, or having the same madness here on our local road that has a few cars per hour, but still has four flag persons, work and safety creates jobs but not wealth, and waste is waste.

We need responsibility to come back to our society

And it makes me wonder how many Australians there are who never used their medicare card?