Comments on: Labor rejects AMA’s bedside manner

By: David

David — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

The Government owes the AMA nothing. They are a right wing group whose loyalties lie with the Liberal Party and always have. Their actions and utterances leading up to the November election indicated whose bed they are sleeping in, nothing has changed. If they want dialogue with the Health Minister and The Government, best they get off their high horse and act like doctors, not a bunch of bullies barricking openly for the discredited opposition. Perhaps the AMA executive should ask their members in the regions, their thoughts about the Government. I have and there is a vast difference of opinion between many of them and Rosanna Capolingua. Her position is shaky at best and terminal come the worst scenario, like get lost. Tact and common sense are not her greatest strengths.

By: David Christie

David Christie — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

The motto of the AMA should be “plus ca change, mais c’est la meme chose”. In 1976–77 the AMA conducted a pitched battle in Melbourne against doctors in Community Health Centres, to the extent of hauling a Professor of Medicine up before them to explain himself. Their attitude to midwifes and homebirthing has been disgraceful over the years; any experienced public health person knows that what rural Australia urgently needs are nurse–practitioners, and possibly “barefoot doctors” (as in China in the old days) rather than technologically dependent city doctors. The AMA are largely to blame for Medicare’s bias towards payments for procedures, rather than psychiatric, geriatric, or even old–fashioned family doctoring.

By: Greg Rudd

Greg Rudd — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

As to Davids letter. The AMA would have to the most militant union in Australia. Didn’t Bob Hawke threaten them When Bruce Shepard was the union boss there in the 80’s due to their opposition to Medicare and their threats of industrial action, that the Government would do similar things to the AMA than what was done with BLF and the Painters and Dockers federation. Namely de-registration. Could some one correct me on this?

By: JamesK

JamesK — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Wrt Greg Rudd(? relation to our kev?) question. I will not answer specifics except that to suggest that the AMA “would have to the most militant union in Australia” is just plain silly. After such an intro anything else said would have to be taken with a grain of salt

By: Justin

Justin — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

David: It is interesting that you note that the AMA are Right wing. There are quite a few unions that are Left wing, too, and give the Labor Party millions in donations every year.