Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke has appeared in a Labor Party advertisement on Medicare.
It was Hawke’s government that introduced the current Medicare scheme after winning the 1983 federal election. Medicare came into operation in 1984. It was essentially the same scheme legislated by the Whitlam government in 1974 but dismantled by the Fraser government after 1975.
In the advertisement, Hawke warns against the privatisation of Medicare. He says that the only reason for establishing a taskforce to investigate privatisation is if you intend to do just that.
- Listen to Hawke (30s)
- Watch Hawke (30s)
- Medicare 30th Anniversary