Badge, Moratorium Defend & Extend Medibank, Australia, 1975-1976

Alternative Name(s): Button Badge supporting Medibank. Medibank was the original name of the universal health cover in Australia, now called Medicare. According to the Australian Parliament House website: 'Medibank commenced on 1 July 1975 after the passing of the Medibank legislation by a joint sitting of Parliament on 7 August 1974.

The Medibank program had only a few months of operation before the dismissal of the Whitlam Government on 11 November 1975, and the subsequent election of the Liberal-National Coalition under Fraser in December 1975. Following the election, a Medibank Review Committee was established in January 1976. The Committee's findings were not made public but the new program was announced in a Ministerial Statement to Parliament on 20 May 1976. 'Medibank Mark II' was launched on 1 October 1976 and included a 2.5 per cent levy on income, with the option of taking out private health insurance instead of paying the levy. ....The major changes introduced by the Fraser Government were largely rejected by the Hawke Labor Government, which returned to the original Medibank model.

Although the financing arrangements were different, and there was a name change from Medibank to Medicare, little else differed from the original. Medicare as we know it came into operation on 1 February 1984' Circular badge. Around the edge the colour is red. The inscription over this is written in blue. In the centre the background colour is yellow. There is a sign in blue on this background which is an M with an arrow through it.