In a way Belly, you highlight the problem. You are so keen
on politics, that your crystal ball is focussed on who wins
the next elections, not how we can land up with less wasteful
Govt.

That is exactly what happened in Greece, Spain, Portugal etc,
the net result being, political squabbling has taken them
over the edge, heading down the road towards becoming
banana republics of debt. Only EU membership is propping
them up right now.

What most governments want to ignore is that for health services to improve it will require increased funding (not different funding) for more beds, new hospitals and more health practitioners, particularly if we are intent on a Big Australia. We might wangle it with less funding (or not much more) if we can get rid of some layers of bureaucracy that don't add any value to the services provided.

If we can ever get away from politics in this debate, which is unlikely, there might be some hope for health reform.

for those wondering how krudd would pay for it..well the smokers of course..such a clever person..

trouble being not a cent of the new tax goes to govt..it goes to the fed..no tax..goes to govt..it all goes..direct to the bankers/fed..though the ignorant..will debate it with their opinion

its funny..how the k[iddy;lover]rudd..didnt put a tax on lollies..ie the obesity epidemic...or the booze hounds..but then who wants mobs of angry drunks../on the street..

or for krudd to loose..his photo-ops with kids..in schools..thus the overnight tax on smokers..and will it be in the tax REVIEUW..lol..no revieuw..here just krudds/vieuw..noting the mining tax wont get opposition support...cause they allready refused..that

the two-party joke..see the fruit..and know its fruit is most foul..have the guts to make drunks pay their way...smokers allready been told..they wonnt get aid..cause their TROUBLE.isSELF INFLICTED..YET ARE EXPECTED TO/bailout..krud#s promises..immediatly

the constitution dosnt allow any tax/recall the salt tax/..ghandi was a lawyer/.he knew it[ALL TAX]is unconstitutional

i hear the numbers..15,000 deaths..
problem being..my ciggie pack says 19,000..
thats the issue govts lie..even passed a law allowing them to lie..thats unconstitutional../or immoral..

note re the deaths..WE DONT have autoptcy..death..'cause'..is what the doc writes down..if the possable death cause is.'smoking/RELATED..then it goes to the deaths..'ATTRIBUTABLE'..to smoking

kids dont care about the price of cigs..it all goes unthinkingly onto the credit card..they only make minimum pazyments on..

how much percent is minimum payment?..they are ..'buying their fags/booze/cars..for pennies on the dollar!.these destractions remind me k/rudd..is doing this to destract away from other issues..he also cant..constitutionally do...
both parties have the same adenda...advised by the same bloated/pensioned elite..and their banker/lawyer mates

.recall the carbon tax..[unconstuitutional/too]..yet is was the same as howhards..see the same bloated public service boys club runs the two party system..via the sports rorts clubs/getting huge multilevel/govt grants..wont get intoi murdoc running the sports club..there is the rub..half our news is sport

Well i thought this was about the health reforms. Much seems to be getting said about elections and oppositions.
The long awaited health reforms by the krudd government are of little to no use at all. They will in the future allow the federal government to wear the brunt of spiralling costs caused by the ever fearful public that want to live forever in the nanny state of Aus.
Our ever vigilant but expensive and useless state governments have yet again managed to negotiate absolutely nothing at all and with WA holding out so they can pay half of their GST into health in the future while everyone else pays 1/3. They really got nowhere.
Real reform for the health system will begin with a referendum to get rid of states, recognise local government and regionalise administration. This of course would be too much for all to cope with, we are not good at the thought of change in this country, we would rather maintain confused systems of administration in a rotting and corrupt method of governance and economics.
OOOH, that was a mouthful.

I found Foxys post the best.
yabbys the most interesting.
And got the true Belly laugh out of Shadow minister.
Rudd has been blocked at every turn by conservatives who are nothing but an opposition, in training to remain an opposition.
Yes health costs are out of control.
Yes we must do much better, in delivery, and costs/charges.
And yes we must feel pain, pay our share for better health services, all of us.
However with a Senate that will not budge are we sure Rudd has no plans to improve the whole health service/delivery thing.
Can ANYONE give me evidence this is only about costs?
Our system is in trouble, costs are huge, unpayable, but the core problem is service delivery.
Doctors and Chemists are bribed by international groups to sell products.
Profit drives old age care not care, health is a gold mine for share holders.
Lost senators and rabbotts hold outs pretend Rudd's wishes In health care insurance is a cash grab.
They know, informed people do, we have to work 24/7 and hard to both fund and change health care, and we still may fail.
Rudd at least is trying ,that is why yabby he has already won the election.
elections are about voters judging who best serves them.

NO TAX WITHOUT REPRESENTATION..what a laugh..krudd needs..6 bil..so lets tax the mug/smokers..while insulting them..and threatening them with refusal..of medical services

and/all the non-smokers..reformed smokers..all get their healing for free..on the back of the loner-smokers..paying an unconstitutional tax..because..not only are we un-represented...we are actually repressed/..dispised..by all

the miners/poluting national-parks and deep-oceans/estories
..bankers/corrupting the money system..drinkers/filling up hospital beds on friday/saterdaY NIGHT...THE chocolate/sweets gorgers..who injest their..junkfood..and get self-inflicted diabetus..no worries...let the smokers pay for you..

after a huge cam-pain..of spin and redicule..and no-0one gives a stuff..you drunks know no end..with your silence..

krudd making promises..by taxing us..for/our own good...lol..what about you drunks/dopers

asbestosis..will fill your hospitals..but each..will be called smoking related

passive/smoking...lol..yet we breath..your foul car egsaust..your mutagene laden perfumes..your clorinated water..when i shower..

wood-smoke .is the biggest cause of lung cancer..and ciggies used to have asbestus filters../lit..by matches..or benzine/feuled..zippoes

but..its the smoke...laden with additives..govt has mandated/to make the smoke bitter/and reek..adding sulfer/to make it burn...and now other aditives/to make it not burn..lol..if there is a healthy issue..make/mandate pure toobacco..

hope you quiters..get fat.,.you earnned that..by your ignorance and hatred of the facts..when you accepted the spin..instead of remaining calm with nicoteen..[lol..like me].you will remain doped on govt subsised perscription/meds..and their..adverse reactions

noting the latest..is you have to go to a docter to get a codene headache tablet..just like they have trippled the cost of vitamins..thanks to that drug company/codex-alimentarious..but you ignorant paid to bloggers got no idea..

thank god..my web acces is restricted..[thanks to the enron mob who set up internet load-limit's]..so i hope to be over all of this/urge to inform soon..and havnt botherd to see a quack since howhard got rid of..bulkbilling..

but no doudt my death..advanced by govt malfeasance..will be smoking RELATED

...going to a hospital..the docter says a smoker..next please..

add his cause of death as smoking..yet i cant even die..doing that act of smoking..

oh god..i wish i were a drinker..then i could get as many livers as they will/need..

maybe they will give mine to a drunk..as soon as i die smoking