The News Review:
- Abbott’s day from hell
- MacGill fit for Test duty
- Election ’07: Rural health is “marginal”
- Nurses’ dispute escalates
Abbott’s day from hell
Sydney Morning Herald – Oct 31, 2007
Ms Roxon said the Government had demonstrated that it did not havea clear plan on how it would deliver an election promise toestablish local boards at public hospitals. “The Government has been falling over backwards to find a way tomeet and keep the promise that AWAs will not apply for nursing andmedical staff at Mersey Hospital” Ms Roxon said. She said the Coalition had made the workplace agreement exclusivelybecause of a promise made to a northern Tasmanian community. “They won’t make that promise to everyone else and they should orour nurses are going to be under attack because of thissystem. Ms Roxon said Labor would make another health announcement latertoday. “Kevin Rudd and I will be announcing a new accountability measureto ensure that our $600 million elective surgery plan will reducewaiting times state by state and hospital by hospital” shesaid. “This will include a national public hospital report cardsystem.
MacGill fit for Test duty
The Australian – Oct 31, 2007
He finished with figures of 0-54 from 12 overs yesterday including nine no-balls and a wide. However it will be how Tait backs up and performs again today having played so little cricket which will have the most influence on the four-man selection panel of chairman Andrew Hilditch David Boon Merv Hughes and Jamie Cox. If Tait is not fit then promising Tasmanian swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus who was a late replacement for Tait on recent tours of South Africa and India is next in line. Ricky Ponting may be able to make a significant contribution to the debate having captained Hilfenhaus in the field for the first day and a half as South Australia staged a historic rearguard action and then batted against Tait yesterday scoring an unbeaten 50. While the Australia captain is not a selector and Ponting certainly doesn’t always get exactly who he wants in the squad he is always closely consulted by those who do make the decisions. While Tait and Hilfenhaus appear to be fighting for the 12th man position at this stage pacemen on the fringe of the team are always a chance of playing because of the likelihood of injury to their more fancied colleagues given the strenuous physical demands of fast bowling. Any lingering doubts about MacGill were dispelled by NSW physiotherapist Pat Farhart yesterday.
Election ’07: Rural health is “marginal”
North Queensland Register – Oct 31, 2007
“In short the fact that the rural health crisis has got to this point defies belief. It is critical the major parties commit to turning the situation around urgently right across Australia – and not just in the marginal seats -or there will be no rural health system to fix come the next election. “The 16 marginal rural seats are Eden-Monaro (NSW) Macquarie (NSW) Page (NSW) Paterson (NSW) Richmond (NSW) Ballarat (Victoria) Bendigo (Victoria) Corangamite (Victoria) McEwen (Victoria) McMillan (Victoria) Blair (Queensland) Flynn (Queensland) Wakefield (SA) Bass (Tasmania) Braddon (Tasmania) and Lyons (Tasmania).
Nurses’ dispute escalates
ABC nline – ABC nline – Oct 31, 2007
The rally passed a vote of no confidence in the Health Minister Lara Giddings after nurses agreed to dramatically escalate their industrial campaign next week. The Nursing Federation’s national secretary Jill Illife had this message for the state government. “Give the nurses a decent offer give the nurses of Tasmania what they deserve” she said. Nurses are prepared to close a fifth of public hospital beds and postpone elective surgery from Monday morning in the absence of a revised offer from the government. They’ll also extend their bans on overtime and double shifts to include intensive care units for 48 hours from Tuesday. Emergency cases will be exempt from the bans and they won’t affect surgery for cancer and cardiac patients and women needing caesarean sections. The Health Minister Lara Giddings says she wants a fair and reasonable wage outcome and is determined to maintain pay parity for nurses.