Hidng the Henry Review report from public refelcts weaknesses of Rudd ministry

Comments on Paul Kelly “Rudd must seize on once-in-generation tax review”, 10/03/2010, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/rudd-must-seize-on-once-in-generation-tax-review/story-e6frg6zo-1225838874528

The entertaining of the idea of delay the Henry Review report indicates the core weaknesses of Rudd, his approach to governance and his whole ministry.

For Rudd, it is his micromanaging focus more on media and politics driven by election desire, and disempowering others including his senior ministers, but himself lacking a whole strategy of governing a nation.

For his senior ministers especially those with economic responsibilities, it is their inabilities to economic management and reforms including tax or structural reforms and how to manage the budget in that context.

It is also the weaknesses of his senior economic ministers especially the Treasurer to advise and advocate strongly on economic reforms, namely tax reforms in this instance.

In addition to the delay of the release of the tax review report, the release of a half cooked health reform plan indicates the incompetence and confusing among the Rudd ministry including both the line ministers and the Treasurer and finance ministers.

They do not appear to have an effective whole strategy. It will retain the blame game in place with the States have to pick the bills of the nation’s public hospitals by all probability more than 40% and possibly more than half. It is unlikely to have the supports of all States, because it is proposed to strip them off any say in funding and running the hospitals. It does not specify any increase in funding from the Commonwealth for possibly after two elections, so it is so empty.

What role did the health minister play in getting such a bad reform plan beside stealing half of the coalition's idea of hospital boards but making it worse?

What did the Treasurer and the finance minister play in making such a plan involving a significant shift in nation's revenue and services?