Not happy, Kevvy

He thinks he can over-ride opposition to his hospital plans coming from States run by his own Labor Party. I don't think he can do that. He threatens to over-ride the States by putting up a constitutional referendum. But everybody knows what a bluff that is. Federal referenda are passed in Australia only if there is no significant opposition to them. Otherwise a majority of Australians vote "No".

His claim that bureaucrats are his opposition is also deceptive. At least in the State of Victoria, it's the State Premier who doesn't want his funds taken away. And if State Premiers campaign against any referendum it will surely be lost. Mind you, the NSW Premier seems to see Rudd's proposals as taking a monkey off her back, so they might all eventually come to that conclusion. Kevvy is definitely NOT a savvy politician to be taking on the public hospitals mess. John Howard wisely left that to be blamed on the States


THE states will not be allowed to block health reform, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd insists. Reiterating his belief that "health bureaucrats" are using scare tactics in New South Wales to undermine plans for a federal takeover of public hospitals, Mr Rudd said the reforms would be going ahead. "We will speak directly with the states between now and when the Council of Australian Governments convenes in the first part of April," he said. "I've written to all the state premiers and chief ministers, and there is going to be huge amount, to use the technical term, of argy bargy between now and when the Council of Australian Governments meet. "Some may agree, some may disagree ... some may tell us to jump in the lake, but you know something, that will not stand in our road."

Mr Rudd was speaking after he and federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon toured parts of St Vincent's Hospital and the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney to meet patients.

Mr Rudd said no hospitals would close as a result of the reforms, which involve stripping states of some GST revenue and using it to increase the commonwealth's contribution to funding of state hospitals. Critics have said the plan could force 100 small and regional hospitals to close in NSW alone.

Mr Rudd has accused "health bureaucrats" of running a scare campaign over the issue. "There is absolutely nothing in any one of the reforms that we would put forward in this plan that would cause any hospital in the country to close," he told Channel 7. "What you have at present is a campaign... by various state governments in Victoria and NSW against any change. "Therefore you have a deliberate fear campaign that is put out there by various state health bureaucrats at the moment in NSW about hospital closures."

Asked later if the NSW Government was orchestrating the campaign, Mr Rudd told reporters at St Vincent's: "Why the NSW health bureaucrats are out there saying these sorts of things .. (is a) matter for them, you can sort that out."

SOURCE

Posted by John Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.). For a daily critique of Leftist activities, see DISSECTING LEFTISM. To keep up with attacks on free speech see TONGUE-TIED. Also, don't forget your daily roundup of pro-environment but anti-Greenie news and commentary at GREENIE WATCH . Email me here

1 comment:

  1. "John Howard wisely left that to be blamed on the States."

    Exactly, no matter who is in government our socialized system is simply unsustainable, if the conservatives were in power, it'd just be a bit less screwed up.

    Either way whether kevvie takes it over or doesn't the public will blame him now, the dumbass asked for it.

    ReplyDelete

All comments containing Chinese characters will not be published as I do not understand them