In a well-executed media stunt (labelled an ‘exclusive’ by the Daily Telegraph, LOL) the NSW Government has come up with an idea to try and carve out a future in the (mis)management of the state’s health system. Apart from being an ‘exclusive’, the stunt also has two other elements designed to give it media appeal: a sense of crisis (the prediction that free health care is coming to an end) and a dramatic proposal (hopefully, if predictably, described as the biggest shake-up since the Whitlam era).
The proposal itself is quite silly. The NSW Government proposes a ’single mandate’, which is just another description for a joint commonwealth-state effort. There is no rationale for a joint effort other than it keeps the NSW Government in the game, at a time when 78 per cent of voters want it out of the way. The voters recognise that the NSW Government is the problem not the solution (to paraphrase Ronald Reagan). A joint effort would ensure more bureaucracy, more red tape, more blame shifting – all the stuff that has helped to cripple the system so far.
What’s worse is that the ’single mandate’ idea doesn’t solve the crisis, it just ducks it (as most NSW Government ’solutions’ do). Beyond getting the NSW Government, and its horrible management, out of the way, the problem requires a lot more funding. That substantial extra funding has to come from patients, taxpayers and the privately insured in some mix or other. That’s the problem the Federal and state governments ought get together on. Pretending otherwise, pretending that it can all be resolved by a change of administrative arrangements, is simply dishonest.
One Comment
One often hears the argument that the getting rid of state governments would be beneficial. On the whole, I am yet to be convinced on that score. But I do think we could save some money by getting rid of the NSW Department of Health. I have yet to work out what useful purpose it serves. Give the money direct to the area health services and let them get on with it without interference.