I seek to offer an alternative view to that of Dr Peter Brandson which he eloquently expressed in his article, ‘The faux Medicare rort scandal is a political move to coerce and control doctors’.

Dr Brandson argues that there is a war against private practice, and that the long view is that governments want to see us on salaries.

I believe it is the other way around.

Governments know they can’t afford to pay us what we deserve and seek to push us back into private practice or, at least, reduce our dependence on Medicare as a source of income and save on the health budget.