98.2% of eligible Australians are on the electoral role.
Say what you like about the parties running, but Australia has a democracy that should be the envy of every other country on earth.
4 Likes
That might even sway me.
1 Like
On the other hand, thereâs a disturbing correlation between coalition government and Essendon losing prelims by a pointâŚ
4 Likes
Yes, and for other young ones out there who probably havenât been told: amongst other innovations, Australia introduced the following for (at or near) the first time:
-the secret ballot
-universal male suffrage
-womenâs vote
Not forgetting the eight hour day, establishment of a fair wage, and other things the Tories have been trying to wind back.
1 Like
So uranium is Duttonâs kryptonite?
Ali France is super impressive. Far more impressive than Dutton.
4 Likes
If youâve every been to New England, its pretty self explanatory
Ali France is impressive and much easier to look at. I reckon it will depend if the independent candidate Ellie Smith pulls enough votes and her preferences flow eventually to ALP.
Dutton seems to be popular with the blokes.
1 Like
Voters who could not vote for ALP or Green might go for Ellie Smith if they canât stomach Dutton any longer. If some Libs drift to her âŚ.
1 Like
Ultimately the collapse of bulk billing is no singular governmentâs fault. This is a problem 30 odd years in the making, with the rebates hardly increasing despite the costs of running a GP practice skyrocketing coupled with the shifting population demographic meaning thereâs a much higher % of consults that are complex chronic health issues and subsequently take much more time/resources.
Itâs much sexier to fund an expensive new hospital facility which benefits a select few than it is to bolster the GP world which does the bulk of the heavy lifting in healthcare.
2 Likes
Yes it is.
It has been a deliberate policy of any of the Liberal Governments since 1977 to destroy universal health care started by Whitlam.
Hawke in 1983 did much to recover this, but then Howard again attacked it and the 9 years that ended with Morrison under Dutton as Health Minister saw a huge deterioration in terms of bulk billing and most other Health Care.
It goes to political ideology, and no matter what Dutton says at election time, LNP are not guardians of universal health. The cost of healthcare for everyone is huge and without Medicare most Australians would be much worse off.
Way back in 1973, many in Labor wanted to nationalise all healthcare, make all doctors public servants and have Federal control and funding of all hospitals and clinics. They got jittery when the projected cost was compiled and the refusal of doctors to even discuss the matter. Even as a young socialist back then I was not convinced it was the right way, but 50 years on and I judge it could have been a success and a model for all Nations.
I do remember the words of my boss in 1973, the bloke who should have been Minister of Health; âyou become a Doctor to serve mankind, not to be rich and famous, that is why the public fund your education, and give you this great opportunityâ. Those blokes at the AMA did not seem as impressed as me.
9 Likes
Why was dental omitted from Medicare?
The UK system also kept dentists out of the NHS
1 Like
Money, and Whitlam caved to lobbying
1 Like
Hereâs a good/bad scenario hypothetical question.
If Dutton lost his seat (yay!) but the Libs won Government (boo!), who would be PM?
Good question and it was a very heated argument in 1972 before the election, and it was planned to happen. However once in Government the Treasury Department actually started being honest about budgets and projections and adding in dental threatened the amount that Doctors would get paid as a rebate, meaning the whole system might crumble.
My boss Dr Cass did not agree but Gough and his faction had the numbers, so Medibank went ahead in 1975 without dental. Remember that back in 1975, the total Healthcare spending in the Federal Government budget was about $2.7 billion (today it is $253 billion), so that extra $100 million for dental was seen as a huge amount.
For all my love of that Labor Government from 1972 and the great vision that Gough showed, I regret that they did not last after 1977, as if they had one or two more terms, I reckon we would be a much different and better place. For a start I doubt we would be so aligned to USA and maybe Rex Connor would have got his wish and we would own our natural resources.
2 Likes
