ACT Govt rightly sceptical over health: Opposition

By MICHAEL BYRNE
THE Federal Government’s health reform package merely cycles money a different way, according to the ACT Oppostion.

“The [ACT] Government is quite rightly sceptical about what is going to be delivered,” ACT Shadow Health Minister Jeremy Hanson said.

“In essence, what Kevin Rudd is saying is that he’ll take 30% of the GST revenue that comes to the state and feed that back through another bureaucracy.

“Just recently we had $84 million ripped out of our budget by the GST Commission, if that were to happen in health… because of the [decision of] a federal bureaucrat somewhere, then that would be of real concern.

“Whether we’ll get the same amount of money… we simply don’t know.”

He said the plan had showed a “lack of detail, coherency and strategic thinking”.

“[It s] a rushed response – basically to get the conversation changed away from the dodgy insulation program… rather than a legitimate health care reform package,” he said.

“I do question whether the plan constitutes any significant reform at all beyond simply changing the funding model.”

However, Mr Hanson still believes there is a need for reform.

“Here in the ACT… we have some of the least efficient hospitals in the country,” he said.

“From my point of view, what we need to do is treat our health system more holistically.

“Rather than treating the public hospital, private hospital… and primary health care systems separately, we need to treat them as an integrated whole.

“We also need to focus more on treating people earlier… [and especially on] earlier intervention and protection.”

The ACT joins NSW, Victoria and Western Australia in openly having reservations about the plan.

ACT Health Minister Katy Gallagher and her counterparts have until April 11’s Council of Australian Governments meeting to formally respond to the reform.

She was cautious of the plan. She told the ABC she needed to be convinced there would be no loss of service.

Mr Rudd has said that if the states and territories do not agree to the reforms, he would take the issue to a referendum.