6
September 2004
ALP commitment to universality welcomed
The
Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) expressed support today for
the Labor Party's commitment to restore the universality of Medicare
- announced in the launch of their Medicare Policy.
'Medicare is not simply an administrative system for the payment
of medical bills. It is an important symbol of our egalitarian
society that goes to the heart of what we are as Australians.
The Howard Government has undermined the basic principle of Medicare
as a publicly funded health insurance scheme for all Australians
with their targeted incentives, which divide the Australian community,
and their spending focus on private health insurance,' ANF Federal
Secretary Jill Iliffe said.
'Universal access based on need and not on capacity to pay is
an important principle of Medicare. The changes to Medicare,
introduced by the Howard Government, have abandoned the principle
of equity and created divisions within Australian society based
on wealth.
'Australians voted for the Howard Government on the basis they
would preserve Medicare intact. The policies announced today
by the Labor Party will help to restore Medicare back to the
system it was originally intended to be.'
The ANF also welcomed the creation of 3125 undergraduate nursing
places by 2008-09 and 500 full time postgraduate nursing HECS
places in areas of specialisation.
In welcoming the announcement of the undergraduate nursing places,
Ms Iliffe pointed out that the Australian Government's National
Review of Nursing Education predicted nursing vacancies of
31,000 between 2001 and 2006 (Commonwealth of Australia, 2000,
The National Review of Nursing Education 2002, DEST no.
6925.HERC02A).
'The Howard Government's response to the shortage of nurses has
fallen well short of what was recommended in their own reports,'
Ms Iliffe said.
This year, 4,545 eligible nursing applicants missed out on an
undergraduate nursing place (Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee
2004. Applications for undergraduate higher education courses,
2004).
'In announcing these additional nursing undergraduate and postgraduate
places, the Labor Party has recognised the seriousness of the
shortages of nurses across Australia. 'These additional places
are a welcome start to address this growing crisis.'
In the forthcoming election nurses are calling for:
- an increase in the Medicare rebate by $7.50 across the board without any restrictions for all general medical practitioner services that are bulk billed;
- a review of the private health insurance rebate which costs Australian taxpayers $2.4 billion a year;
- the establishment of a public dental service for children under 16, pensioners, people with health care cards and people on low incomes; and,
- the
establishment of Australian Health Reform Council to ensure the
health system is integrated and coordinated.
Media
inquiries:
Jill Iliffe, ANF Federal Secretary 0419 576 590
Ged Cowin, ANF Assistant Federal Secretary 0417 053 322
Heather Witham, ANF Federal Communications Officer 0417 359 907
The ANF, representing 140,000 members, is the professional and industrial voice for nurses in Australia.