Senate may resist rebate rejig: Fielding

Australian Associated Press

The federal government's proposal to means-test private health insurance rebates will face resistance in the upper house, independent senator Steve Fielding says.

Labor had no mandate to erode the government's 30 per cent rebate as it announced in Tuesday's budget, he said.

The key crossbench senator, whose vote the government might need to have the measure passed by parliament, said upper house approval could be difficult.

"We need to actually just work out what is their policy drive here," Senator Fielding told reporters in Canberra.

"Are they trying to have a strong public and private system, or are they just going to bugger up the private system and force more people onto waiting queues in the public hospital system?"

"I think they are in a little bit of trouble with that particular policy."

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