Rudd’s response to health crisis – yet another review
27th July, 2009
Yet another negative review of the Rudd Government’s performance on health hit the deck today – and the Prime Minister has responded by ordering another review of that review which will take at least another six months.The Leader of The Nationals, Warren Truss, said the Australian people were paying the price of the empty election promises made by Mr Rudd on health.
“First Mr Rudd was going ‘end the blame game’ and fix the health system, and if he couldn’t do that by 30 June 2009 he would move to take over the running of 750 public hospitals,” Mr Truss said.
“Since then the health situation has worsened, particularly in Queensland and New South Wales, and especially in the regions.
“The takeover deadline has also passed. The evidence is mounting of poorer outcomes, including waiting times for elective surgery blowing out by 20 percent over the past five years and the number of waiting list procedures performed actually declining in four states.
“Sadly, the Labor Party has refused to consider the best option available and one that is solidly supported in the community and by the Coalition: the re-establishment of local hospital boards, where local people make decisions about what happens in their local hospitals and how they are run.
“This morning we heard the Federal Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, crying poor about the potential costs of what the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission has proposed in its report today.
“If the Rudd Government had not wasted so many billions of dollars in its poorly-targeted cash splashes, the Federal Government might be better placed to deal with the consistent failures of Labor state governments in health. The Government might be able to act on putting more money into preventative health measures, long-term reform and shorter waiting lists.
“It is clear that Kevin Rudd made election promises to win popularity but has no intention of ever delivering.
“Now, we see another review. Yet again, Rudd Labor has dodged the hard decisions,” Mr Truss said
