Mark Butler appeared on the ABC’s 7.30 news program last week. The Minister for Health and Aged Care has impressive credentials to lead aged care, but his rhetoric was not dissimilar to that used by the previous Government.

Mark was Minister for Ageing and Minister for Mental Health in the Gillard Government, and held ministries for Housing, Homelessness and Social Inclusion, among others.

On the program, Mark said the government will publish a report on Medicare reforms within weeks, but his comments on GPs were most interesting.

Mark said, “Our general practice system is in the worst shape it has been in in the 40-year history of Medicare. It’s a trend across the developed world.” he added.

Mark said only 14% of medicine graduates currently become GPs, whereas the figures used to be around half. With aged care operators already finding it difficult to employ GPs, it seems that without reform the situation will only become worse.