BY LALITHA CHELLIAH

MELBOURNE — On June 20, 200 people attended a meeting in the federal electorate of Batman to discuss campaigning against the cuts to Medicare proposed by the Howard government. The meeting was organised by the ALP, the Preston Reservoir Progress Association, some community groups and the Darebin City Council.

Marilyn Beaumont from the Medicare Action Group, who chaired the meeting, said this was the third time that a campaign to defend Medicare had had to be launched since its introduction. Speakers, including Martin Ferguson, Labor MP for Batman, spoke with passion about the history of Medicare. They also raised the question of how Medicare could be maintained.

From the floor, Socialist Alliance member Patrick McLiesh pointed out that the government's argument that it couldn't afford to fund Medicare is a false one, as the Howard government had no problems finding money to fund the war against Iraq.

Socialist Alliance members were keen to establish an open campaigning committee. The meeting's organisers, especially the Darebin councillors, have promised to keep the campaign meetings open to all interested activists.

[Lalitha Chelliah is a member of the Melbourne north-east branch of the Socialist Alliance.]

From Green Left Weekly, June 25, 2003.
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