Your tax dollars helping out GI

[globaleagle]

Federal health authorities are investigating how rugby league star Greg Inglis came to be paid up to $90,000 a year from Medicare funds to do promotional work for the Redfern Aboriginal Medical Service, a registered charity where his club's former director is the chairman.


But the federal Department of Health said Medicare income at the service could only be used to fund primary health care.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/authorities-investigate-medical-service-deal-with-league-star-greg-inglis-20140509-zr8bz.html#ixzz31QGIxCSU

 

[bob dylan]

Surely this can't be right.

GI wouldn't know anything about it.

A bit like his boat, harvey Norman vouchers and the bags of cash.

 

[HappilyManly]

So as a Taxpayer, I am now a third-party Sponsor of a Rabbid 😡

 

[Lord Eagleton]

Ahh bless him. Doing all that hard work in the aboriginal medical community. Now it all makes sense. The jerk was getting paid 90K for it.

 

[The Wheel]

I wonder if this was in the Comission of Audit report?

 

[MadMarcus]

I am going to refuse to pay the Medicare levy this year.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

If you want to hire someone with a high profile to raise your own organisation's profile, you pay market rate. Nothing new here, isn't a free market a cornerstone of our glorious capitalist system?

 

[Captain Moondog]

So long as it does'nt go to those bloody pensioners.

 

[Frogz]

So SE8...you'd be happy for the tax office to pay Cameron Smith for promotional work...Maybe the Health Dept. sponsor Billy slater....Its a govt funded organisation shelling out funds that are suppose to go to the communities....I don't believe they are a private entity.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

If not yet then they probably will be soon. Privatisation is all the rage these days.

 

[Frogz]

Yes I know...I had to check it hadn't already happened before I posted....lol

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Its a govt funded organisation shelling out funds that are suppose to go to the communities....

While you're there Frogz ... so private doctors and medical centres who receive medicare rebates from the govt aren't allowed to spend their income any way they want?

 

[Eagles2nv]

The issue here isn't the fact that GI was paid to do promotional work, the issue is he was paid using money that is intended for community use.

I dont like him being paid to do community work cause if he genuinely cared he would do it own his own back like many other players do e.g. Joe Galuvao.

The general idea is good, the idea of using a footy player to promote health care in minority groups is attempting improve the health of a community through awareness. I just the money shouldn't have been spent on already wealthy football player. I just think that if GI really cared he would do it out of the goodness of his own heart.

 

[Shoe1]

The issue here isn't the fact that GI was paid to do promotional work, the issue is he was paid using money that is intended for community use.

I dont like him being paid to do community work cause if he genuinely cared he would do it own his own back like many other players do e.g. Joe Galuvao.

The general idea is good, the idea of using a footy player to promote health care in minority groups is attempting improve the health of a community through awareness. I just the money shouldn't have been spent on already wealthy football player. I just think that if GI really cared he would do it out of the goodness of his own heart.

The issues are the ridiculously high cost and the fact it wasn't from the medicare promotional budget.

Firstly - he is being paid a figure well above the full time average annual full time wage, for the odd promotional appearance. Whether the true figure is $90k or $70k it is criminal.

Secondly - it is fair enough that gov organisations have a promotional budget - they need to get the message out there to the community, and that isn't free. But why was this $$ coming from a health related budget line?

Terrible story. Souths, GI, medicare should be ashamed.