Our retirees spent decades working hard, paying taxes, and building our community. They earned the right to dignity, stability, and affordable healthcare in retirement.

Instead, the Albanese Labor Government is targeting older Australians on fixed incomes to cover its own budget shortfall.

From April 2027, Labor is scrapping the higher private health insurance rebate for seniors over 65. In real dollars, this forces an annual price hike of around $807 for singles and $1,614 for couples on comprehensive cover, on top of record power, grocery, and insurance bills.

Internal department documents reveal health bureaucrats knew what this would cause: pensioners skipping meals and medicines, dropping private cover, and being forced onto already stretched public hospital waiting lists in severe pain.

This decision treats regional seniors like cash machines and will pile unsustainable pressure onto our local public hospital queues across Dawson.

The Coalition will fight this unfair health tax every step of the way in Parliament, but I need your voice behind me to show Labor that regional Queensland won't take this lying down.

CLICK HERE to read the full media release for all the details

Please sign the petition to stand with our seniors and defend our local health services: http://lbr.al/89sk

For additional assistance, you can call my office on (07) 4944 0662 or visit us at Level 2, 47 Gordon Street, Mackay to sign in person