Major parties hamstrung by costs, vested interests and the election cycle. Minor parties with big policies that are nothing but negotiating tools. What hope real reform?
Three weeks down, two to go, and it’s hard to imagine that anything new can be said on the health front during this campaign.
Saying that of course, according to Sod’s law, almost guarantees there will be an earth-shattering announcement, hopefully from a party that can actually do something about it once they get into power.
But so far, all signs point to more of the same. Money thrown at existing systems that will continue to struggle without real reform is just a convenient vote-getting exercise.
Professor Stephen Duckett, in an article for The Conversation this week, enumerated five areas of necessary reform that have been largely forgotten in this election, so far:
- financial barriers to care;
- managing chronic conditions;
- mental health and dental care;
- public hospitals; and,
- workforce.
There has been nothing but cynical wordplay in this campaign, as there always is.
Anthony Albanese holding up his Medicare card and talking trash about “free healthcare for all” is a recognition that the average Australian voter does not have the depth of knowledge of the healthcare system to know they’re being played.
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A fully bulk-billed GP consultation isn’t “free”. Yes, the patient pays nothing up-front, but that consultation gets paid for by Australians through the tax system just the same.
Medical mental health clinics aren’t paid for by Medicare. They are funded by block funding from the federal government, funnelled through the PHNs.
But that doesn’t sound so good in a three-word slogan. And there’s isn’t a convenient logo and banner to stand in front of. And what does anyone except those in the health services sector know about PHNs, for crying out loud?
Medicare is just a nice recognisable word that makes Australians feel warm and fuzzy and protected.
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The coalition’s brand of cynical politicking is less subtle.
Peter Dutton’s health attack dog, senator Anne Ruston, has never been shy of taking every opportunity to attack the government. Every announcement comes with a dose of “not our fault” and “it all went wrong when Labor came to power”.
Her latest is no different. Announcing a piddling $1.2 million commitment to a children’s service earlier this week, senator Ruston had this to say:
“If Anthony Albanese can find $15 million for pandas in his budget, he should be able to find the funding needed to support these beautiful Australian babies – this is a test of his character. Australian parents are watching.”
Sophisticated stuff, that.
The Greens are batshit crazy, at least in terms of what they think is achievable.
Dental in Medicare? Free school lunches? Wipe all student debt? Free public schools? No more coal and gas? A thousand free GP clinics?
All paid for by higher corporate taxes.
Now, I’m not saying those ideas aren’t great ideas. It didn’t take me but one go round on the ABC’s vote compass to know my values are closer to the Greens than Labor and far, far away from the LNP coalition.
But the Greens know they’re never going to be anything other than a crossbench negotiator. None of their policy platforms will be adopted by a major party – they are just ambit claims, a starting point from which to move in increments.
The good news is Clive Palmer and Pauline Hanson are even less likely to have any influence.
The Teals remain the most influential group in the country.
Up here in my seat of Groom, as safe an LNP seat as has ever existed, there are two independents having a crack. One isn’t a true Teal – she’s just slightly to the left of the Bjelke-Petersens, with good reason, she’s related to them – and the other seems sensible but has no chance.
Labor stopped trying up here years ago.
The state LNP government is threatening the completion and budget of the new hospital up here; a badly needed upgrade of a 1960s-era hospital that has served the community decently but is crumbling to the ground.
And still Groom will vote overwhelmingly LNP, the very definition of “safe seat syndrome”.
Meanwhile, federal health minister Mark Butler reckons his new bulk-billing arrangements will see GPs earning $400,000 a year as a result.
One prominent GP, Professor Karen Price, called that “dog-whistling the electorate rather than fixing the health system”.
It’s hard to disagree.
Brace yourselves, folks, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.