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2010-03-24

Rudd won the great health debate? How?

Comments on Paul Kelly “Rudd skates home with sweet reason”, 24/03/2010, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/rudd-skates-home-with-sweet-reason/story-e6frg6zo-1225844495756

Paul, I have watched your video comments or judgement on the debate as well.

What I must say is although I respect your view on the debate, I nevertheless feel that you don't appear to get it right. The main reason for that lies in the fact that Rudd used a surprise tactic by presenting himself as cooperative, but the fact he is nothing by cooperative in his dealing with the States, the opposition and the public, even on the matter of health policy.

First to the States, has Rudd be cooperative with them? By presenting a poorly designed partial plan and withholding many parts of the plan, without consultation with or advice to the States like the premiers, is not cooperative. Further, the so called increased funding of the commonwealth is coming from the GST that that belongs to the States. So how much Rudd has increased its own funding?

Then to the opposition, again, why not asking for cooperation earlier and stating he is open for negotiation on his plan? Why hasn't he presented the complete plan, with the full support of APS, more than two years in government and 8 months later than his pre-election promise of take over?

For the public, has he explained how his plan can end the blame game, and how? As the opposition leader pointed out the Rudd plan does not and can not do that by changing from 40-60% to 60-40% funding. You would have local board, State bureaucracy and commonwealth bureaucracy. The States will by all probability pay more than 40 percent, because the 60% commonwealth funding is based on efficient operation and by definition there will inevitable less efficient operations that will have to be funded unless you are going to close them. Rudd said the local board is State statutory appointed, so they should be responsible to the State where they are, not the Commonwealth.

So, does Rudd, by using surprise tactics purely for debate, really won the debate? Does his performance in the debate advance the health cause for Australians?

I think the jury is still out, albeit you have happily and readily given Rudd the tick.

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