Well AJFA, to clarify: I am not aligned unthinkingly as a supporter of the government and against the opposition. Hence no good reason for you to read my comments as such.

My opinions of Tony Abbott do not stem from allegiance to a particular "side" of politics, rather I have been reflecting upon what I have observed, within the context of this article.

My preference is for honest politicians, sadly these days a contradiction in terms.

Tony Abbott is perhaps (and laughably so) paying too much attention to how things are done in the US; breaking new ground here in courting media attention. Some voters may "buy it", as in the US, however I won't.

Cretin or not, TA appears to have seriously misread the mood of the electorate on health :-)

Wal,

If you prefer honest politicians, I don't understand why you dislike Abbott more than KRudd. Despite his social conservativism, Abbott is at least a lot more honest and genuine than our Prime Minister. Unlike most politicians, he is not afraid to speak his mind, hence why he is often accused of putting his foot in his mouth.

Abbott did exagerate when he said that Garrett was guilty of industrial manslaughter. But politicians often exaggerate, so I don't know why Abbott has been singled out. KRudd meanwhile has declared war on inflation, unemployment and recession, as well as claimed that Garrett was "a first class minister" and saying that safety was his no1 priority before demoting Garrett and admitting that his government has not performed and apologising for it on national TV.

Personally, I find it more easy to take Abbott seriously than Rudd.

Wal,

Your uncritical support of all labor policies, and stone throwing at Abbott and his policies pegs your alignment deep within the labor camp, irrespective of whether you carry a party card or not.

The liberal party has been chasing health reform for some time, but has met stuborn resistance from the state labor governments. Some states have given Rudd conditional acceptance, but the devil is in the detail.

The Liberal objection to Rudd's plan is not that health needs reform, but that the plan is simply to change the funding arrangements. They question whether it will result in any changes to service delivery, what this will mean to small rural hospitals, and whether getting acceptance from the states means the taxpayer funding the hospitals by more than they recover from the states. (which means higher taxes).

Not having seen any detail on the plan I can't comment, but I think it is a step in the right direction.

That a person is known for "speaking their mind" is no recommendation.
What's on the person's mind may well be completely wrong.
Those who applaud Mr Abbott for "speaking his mind" and being "a straight talker" are simply having their own prejudices reinforced.
Don't be in any doubt that every word spoken by Mr Abbott is carefully considered and then, spoken for a calculated effect.
He is, after all, an intelligent, self-serving, highly experienced politician, using all of the means at his disposal to persuade people of the rightness of his case.
A very sophisticated individual indeed.
There is nothing homespun or folksy about this man.

I agree with ocm on Abbott. He's certainly put the wind up Rudd. I wonder though, has this fight been in the best interests of this country.

Shadow Minister you misread me. My concern about Liberal policies stems from erosion of the welfare state such that it no longer provides a safety net for the genuinely disadvantaged. I doubt that when Liberals speak of health reform, they mean improvements in public provision. I would not like to see Medicare privatised. I would not like to see a return to Work Choices; or work for the dole, a cruel way to treat people who are already demoralised.

Having one body responsible for the funding will be an improvement on the current arrangements. I would also like to see more than lip service to the social determinants of health and less big money spent on expensive technology and pharmaceuticals for health problems that are largely preventable.

AJFA - I'm not singling out Abbott. The discussion is about Abbott. I agree and take offense that Abbott went overboard about the insulation program. In doing this some good people got hurt. Was this a good thing for the country? I disagree with the report by Ergas. He seems to have gone overboard to find flimsy reasons to discredit the program, causing me to question where he's coming from.

I have enjoyed observing Tony Abbott's rise from an inauspicious beginning. It's hard being a politician and there are many casualties. If there's an honest streak that causes Abbott to speak his mind, as ocm says this is not always wise and Tony may be better off taking advice. I wonder though, what comes first for him, his own success and popularity or the well being of this country.

When I said I prefer honest politicians it was hypothetical and I do not expect it to be realised. If anything reassures me about the future of this country it is that governments have access to expert advice and on occasions they take it.