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Victorian Labor promises free dental care if re-elected in Australia-first move
(www.theguardian.com)
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this post was submitted on 22 Aug 2026
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Yeah, nah
Unless they’re lying and don’t intend to follow through, they’ve budgeted for it or it’s been costed. The public won’t disapprove of it by majority.
That sounds like an engineered Labor PR excuse to be honest.
Sorry mate, I don't know what to tell you. This is how the political cycle works. Announce a big policy and take it to an election so the public can decide whether they want it.
You don't know that. It's an expensive policy, and plenty of people with private health insurance would feel like their taxes are subsidising the bad decisions of the poors.
Yeah don’t try and condescend. Labor had no dramas handing out billions over AUKUS without taking that to an election. So no, it’s how it works when Labor wish to pork barrel, and that’s exactly what they’re doing here.
Yeah, I do. It’s free dental, of course the majority would want it, particularly Victoria which might be our most progressive state.
If everyone wants free dental then why isn't it already a thing?
If it's such a no-brainer with obvious unilateral support then why isn't it included in medicare? Or why doesn't every state government implement it?
Probably because the majors haven’t had a political reason until now
Same reason. Have you noticed that for years the better option has wanted it?
You understand how our politics works don’t you?
Edit
They do, to health care card holders
Sorry boss, you don't seem to understand how our politics works.
Why haven't the majors had a political reason until now? Every major party has wanted to be elected since forever. If this is such a straight shot, an obvious win, why hasn't one of the major parties just done it?
That's subjective, obviously: I'm not sure who your "better option" is but given that we do not have free dental I can only conclude that this better option is a minor party. This might shock you but minor parties can just make up whatever policies will gather votes for them because they don't have to form government and actually implement them.
We're not talking about only health care card holders.
Probably because there’s been plenty of other things to pork barrel on.
The problem with your hypothesis is that these parties just go ahead and do costly things without waiting for the electorate anyway.
No it isn’t, they’re better by every metric and if you don’t know who I’m talking about…I don’t know what to say to you. Furthermore, they stand up for us and the disadvantaged, whereas Labor are happy to let American tech companies kick people off the NDIS to fund submarines sold by pedophiles. Or let gas companies take our resources for nothing. Or let gambling companies advertise to whomever they like.
This chestnut again. Labor relies on the Greens and independents to pass pretty much anything decent and when they want to default to cruelty, they need the Coalition. They’re not too bad at stealing minor party policies either…the Greens have argued for state funded dental for years plus the reversal of CGT and negative gearing on housing.
Labor’s had no interest in these until it’s politically expedient, and used one to cover their cowardice in selling out the nations sovereignty and cruelty. Which btw they teamed up with ON and the Coalition to do on both occasions. All three, if we include gambling ads.
I thought they did that with Rudd/Gillard
Which Labor, for all its power, can’t do without Green or Coalition help either. We notice where Labor runs when they want to kick down.
Lets leave it there shall we. If you genuinely believe that a party can be better by every metric but fail to form government, then I can't help you understand politics. Well done.
Yeah thought you might want to
Everyone who doesn't want to engage with my nutty rants is terrified of my superior intellect.