Mark's article unintentionally builds the case that if local governments's can get their act together they can in many ways resolve some problems of the State government's necessarily broad (and hence insensitive) health strategy.

(Living in country Queensland) I subscribe to the theory that Peter Beattie intentionally set up the Queensland Health Inquiry in such a way that it could be buried.

His refusal to use a judge to preside over it ensured that it would be seen as illegitimate. Tony Morris went in with the best of intentions but he showed human bias - that is guts instead of prudence.

The current inquiry may well peter out the way Beattie originally hoped.

Mark

Thank you for your thoughtful and timely article. A great read!

I thought that Mr Morris did a great job, but I did not realise that he had suggested the closing of one doctor public hospitals. That would be a tragedy.

And the previous poster has raised some very good points.

Cheers
Kay

I have no idea why you think that the government should heavily subsidize people living in areas which are unviable now and unviable in the future. If small communities have to move because they can't survive without huge subsidies anymore, then thats just the way life is.

An alternative way you might like to look at the distribution of government funds for medical services would be in a question like this :

If the goverment can help 200 people in one region for the same amount it can help 100 in another, where should it spend its money ? If you want to justify why the governement should help the 100 people (versus the 200 people), then you need to provide a convincing reason versus why it isn't better to, say, spend the money much more efficiently in the outer suburbs of Brisbane.

Mark, What you have written here is so powerfully true.

If you are a journalist who has just read this, its well within the public interest to investigate this situation.

Buried somewhere in all these inquiries are submissios from remote and rural community people asking for better health and hospital care.

The provision of basic health care in many remote communities of Cape York have been by default local government resposibilities for years.

They have by their election as community leaders been given the mother load of responsibilities for the communities they attempt to serve with no little or no resources, no state government support.

And guess what ? You won't here about these local government communities and so you won't know about the problems - and this fact is central to how the Beattie government will appear to "fix the health system".

Rainier - you are spot on.

I have had heaps to do with rural and remote area nurses - their devotion - and their frustrations. But I have to admit, that was before the Beattie Government. The issues have not changed - just the government who resides.

Let's face it, the vote winners are not: people with mental health problems, people of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander heritage, white Australians who live in rural and remote areas.

Shame on you Mr Beattie. Shame on you Professor of Nursing - Heather Beattie.

Cheers
Kay

Good work, Mark.

What concerns me most is that the very last thing the bush needs is this bunch of clowns trying to fix the problems they created. We all know damned well that it wasn't country people who came up with the idea of centralising everything into a big, ignorant bureaucracy.

It was a purely urban concept, designed and implemented by urban people to suit their own agenda. They came up with one health system for the bush and one in the south east. And the people getting killed were all in the bush. They were dispensible.

Australian's are led by a generation of destroyers, not builders. This is reflected in the politics and business of Australia today. After generations of nation building, we now have people ripping everything apart so they and only they get a profit as they tell other generations to pay for it themselves.

Health is just another area which resembles such destruction.

In July, 2005, I was hospitalised at Rockhampton Base Hospital where I learnt some things about funding. I heard Doctors discussing about the tests they needed to do but could not do because they would be denied for funding. Hospitals are only allowed to spend so much money which is limited, so patients forego examinations needed for diagnosis and treatment.

The health of people is put 'at risk' so politicians can spend it on luxury train trips. Yes, such as the pretty silver train that leaves Rockhampton train station which is frequently booked by the Beattie Government who takes private train trips, looks at the pretty scenery and eat on wonderful foods.

Wouldn't the money be spent on a silver bullet?