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AMA Queensland’s immediate past president, Maria Boulton, said it was one of many pre-election recommendations the organisation had made, and it would save patients between $6 and $30 per visit.

“Public hospitals and most private hospitals are exempt [from payroll tax] for a good reason, and that’s because health care needs to be universal, and it needs to be accessible,” she said.

“The issue with the current ruling is that it adds administrative burdens to the practices, and honestly, I would much rather work with a nurse than have to pay an accountant to sort through the administrative burden.”

But Treasurer Cameron Dick said “this whole palaver by the LNP” was designed to distract from Crisafulli’s refusal to release his tax policy.

“The reality of the matter is, the LNP need to say how much this is going to cost and how they’re going to pay for it,” he said.

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“They’re promising all of these unfunded promises to Queenslanders, but they can’t say how they are going to pay.

“Until the LNP can tell Queenslanders how they’re going to pay for this, Queenslanders know one thing – the LNP will have to cut doctors and nurses from hospitals.”

Opposition treasury spokesman David Janetzki said exempting GPs from payroll tax would take about $100 million a year out of the state budget, which would be more than offset by the abandonment of the $24 billion Pioneer-Burdekin pumped hydro project.

A Queensland Productivity Commission would also return under the LNP, which Janetzki said would help keep government spending in check.

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