Mark Butler has just been doing the media rounds this week, having declared that specialist fees are out of control.

In fact, the issue has become so significant that he says it is now a ‘barbecue stopper’: a political topic so contentious that it dominates all conversation at social gatherings across the nation.

One of his appearances was a stint on an ABC breakfast show in Sydney this morning, where he gave a clear insight into what may be coming down the policy sausage machine, including the introduction of caps on the fees that specialists could charge.

The Minister for Health and Ageing started out telling listeners about his plan to mandate the publication of every specialist’s fee on the Medical Costs Finder Website — given that, under the voluntary version, only a few dozen doctors had bothered.