23 June 2010 First it was Victoria – now it’s New South Wales - saying clearly – ‘nothing will change in health under Kevin Rudd’s health reforms’.
John Brumby said it on his return to Melbourne after the COAG meeting that Kevin Rudd’s great big ‘reforms’ to health meant there would be “no big changes”. (The Australian 22/4/10).
Today’s Australian reports that the head of NSW Health has told medicos “little will change under the reforms”.
Shadow Minister for Health Peter Dutton said the report confirms that the Rudd ‘reforms’ are nothing more than a sham.
“They are a political fix for the coming election,” Mr Dutton said.
“Under fire for the pink batts scandal and the school halls debacle Kevin Rudd needed a diversion and his office hurriedly threw together a so called health ‘reform’ plan.”
“The flaws in that phoney plan are now being exposed day by day,” Mr Dutton said.
“Before it has even supposedly begun, the Rudd Government has admitted that its dropped the focal point of the plan – a National Funding Authority, now doctors and nurses in New South Wales are being told that for all the talk from Kevin Rudd it’s just going to be ‘more of the same’ in the state’s hospitals.”
“Just as those in mental health have discovered that Kevin Rudd is all talk and no action – so too will those at the coalface in hospitals. The Prime Minister has been there for the photo – ops, but nothing much will follow.”
The Senate inquiry into the COAG health reforms will table its report later today.
Media contact – John Wiseman 07 3205 9977 – 0429 983 618