Rudd's Health Policy

Kevin Rudd has pledged a federal takeover of public hospitals if states don't improve the standard of health care by mid-2009. He said he was "sick and tired" of blame shifting between the government and states. He will inject $2 billion into Australia's health care system.

If hospitals failed to reach the benchmark, Rudd said he would order a referendum with the 2010 federal election proposing a federal takeover. Rudd said,"When it comes to improving Australia's health and hospital system, as prime minister, if elected, the buck will stop with me." He also said, "It's time for someone to put up their hand and take responsibility. I am prepared to do it."

Aims include:

• Reducing avoidable hospital admissions and readmissions.



• Decreasing the use of hospital emergency rooms by patients who could be treated by GPs.



• Decreasing waiting times for operations.

The federal Health Minister, Tony Abbott, said the policy was a case of "fools rushing in.If Mr Rudd was serious about taking over our public hospitals, he would have announced that a Labor government would just do it, instead, the first thing they would do is set up a new bureaucracy, yet another commission and talkfest." Abbott claimed, "He's saying 'elect me, then I'll establish a commission and that will make recommendations and then I'll decide what I'm really going to do.' It's a trust-me policy and I don't think the public would be inclined to trust Mr Rudd on this."

The health policy debate appeared in The SMH, The Australian and the Daily Telegraph. It also appeared on the online versions of these papers.

The Sydney Morning Herald, 23 August 2007, http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/fix-hospitals-or-i-move-in-warns-rudd/2007/08/23/1187462441681.html

The Daily Telegraph, 23 August 2007, http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22295621-5005941,00.html

The Australian, 24 August 2007, http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22298527-601,00.html

All photos are from The Daily Telegraph website.

Rudd's Strip Club Night

The date for the Federal election has not been announced yet, but the smear campaign has begun. On 19 August 2007 The Sunday Telegraph carried the front page headlines; "RUDD'S STRIP CLUB NIGHT".In September 2003 Rudd visited a New York strip club, Scores. He was allegedly warned against inappropriate behaviour (touching the dancers). At the time, Rudd was representing Australia at the United Nations and was the Shadow foreign affairs minister.

Rudd confirmed he went to the club but could not recall what happened there because he "had too much to drink". Labor MP Warren Snowden visited Scores with Rudd. He said Rudd had not been warned for touching dancers. He continued,"We stayed for a reasonably short length of time. Nothing untoward happened and we left."

Rudd said; "If my behaviour caused any offence to anybody whatsoever that evening, I of course whole heartedly apologise." He said he had made an "error of judgment" and that he'll "take a belting in the opinion polls."In damage control mode, Rudd claimed he had only visited a strip club once before, in his 20's, while at university. He also said he had only been badly drunk once before at his 35th birthday party at his home.

Asked if this was the Liberals trying to smear him, Rudd replied;"It's a question you should put to Mr Downer and his staff, but, my responsibility is simply to be upfront and accountable for my own actions." Downer had allegedly used it as a private taunt in Parliament. A spokesman for Downer quoted the minister as saying; "I will not dignify that with a response."

The scandal has been reported in all news mediums: online, print, television and radio. Martin O'Shannessy, chief executive of Newspoll, said;"This is one of those issues that will take people's attention off policy for a while but...unless there are continuing and deeper mysteries coming out of this... it will probably have a fairly short life in the media and a fairly short life in the polls."

The Daily Telegraph, http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22274210-5001028,00.html

The Sydney Morning Herald, 19 August 2007, http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/kiss-and-makeup-for-rudd/2007/08/19/1187462091914.html

The Sunday Telegraph, http://www.news.com.au/sundaytelegraph/story/0,,22270501-5001021,00.html

The Sunday Telegraph, http://www.news.com.au/sundaytelegraph/story/0,22049,22270830-5001028.html

All photos are from The Daily Telegraph website.

My First Posting

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