The Better Access program, introduced by the Howard government in 2006 to improve access to treatments for common mental disorders, was controversial before it even began.
Nicola Roxon
Follow Crikey’s latest coverage of Nicola Roxon. Crikey’s Nicola Roxon coverage includes independent news, blogs and commentary.
Political snippets: A silly free plug for Winfield
They must be giving thanks at British American Tobacco to Attorney General Nicola Roxon.
Roxon in the news thanks to the new role
Nicola Roxon was off to a busy start to the year in her new role as Attorney General.
Expert advice for Tanya Plibersek
Continuing the theme of a recent Croakey post about new Health Minister Tanya Plibersek, Melissa Sweet asks a panel of medical experts what advice former Health Minister Nicola Roxon could give her.
healthcare Analysis of new Health Minister, Tanya Plibersek
What do we know about the Member for Sydney, Tanya Plibersek, who has replaced Nicola Roxon as Health Minister? What advice might Roxon give her? Croakey asks a panel of experts.
Cox: more women in cabinet, but social issues slip agenda
My feminist push at present is to put the goal of making society fairer and more civil, and to change the emphasis on economic growth as the only good.
Crikey Says: Attorney-General Roxon’s to-do list
Nicola Roxon’s appointment as Australia’s first female Attorney-General presents several opportunities to address issues handled poorly by Robert McClelland.
Reshuffle promotes Gillard’s
‘warlords’
Crikey media wrap: A ministerial reshuffle yesterday resulted in promotions for the architects of Julia Gillard’s prime ministerial coup, a demotion for a Kevin Rudd supporter and a record number of female ministers in Australian politics.
Political snippets: Gillard’s broken promise
A classic example of the blame game. The buck passing on public hospital funding is well and truly back. The Tasmanian government this week announced it would cut more than $60 million from its elective surgery budget over the next three years. That means, according to federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon, that the state risks […]
Roxon’s health records system a ‘massive waste of $467 million’
The news that health minister Nicola Roxon had hatched a $77 million deal with global services behemoth Accenture to deliver its controversial e-health records system has failed to quell the rage of vocal detractors who say taxpayers are being taken for a ride.
Australia Network deal: is Mark Scott really in trouble?
How much trouble is ABC managing director Mark Scott facing over his lobbying on the Australian Network contract deal?
Not ready to let Roxon off the hook yet
Shakira Hussein was relieved to see her MS drug make the PBS approved list, but she’s not going to break open the metaphorical non-alcoholic champagne until the government reverses its decision to subject drugs recommended for subsidy to cabinet decision-making.
My Rolls-Royce drugs need government fuel to drive them
Academic — and MS sufferer — Shakira Hussein writes about the difficulty of expensive but critical drugs she relies on being left off the PBS approved drug list.
Alert the ACCC: Roxon’s alcohol floor price is a classic case of price fixing
Roxon’s plan to fix the floor price of alcohol means effectively the retail alcohol industry is going to be coerced into a massive cartel between itself and the government, writes Ian Hanke.
Political snippets: Rudd’s memory loss regarding John Faulkner
Short term memory loss is a helpful attribute for a politician.
Big Tobacco hires crack team to take plain pack fight to Roxon
British American Tobacco have engaged high-priced corporate lawyers Corrs Chambers Westgarth to pilot their offensive against Nicola Roxon’s plain packaging scheme for cigarettes.
Will government’s plain-packaging proposals make a difference?
The government is not breaking new ground with its proposal for plain packaging of cigarettes, writes Ian Hanke, of Agitate.com.au
Labor is surprisingly effective in parliament
Labor is almost comically inept outside Parliament but the rules within enable it to be much more effective.
‘My’ MS, a magic pill, and what the PBS fight means to me
The politics of turning the final approval of new medications into a Cabinet decision at the least, delays treatment to patients who may benefit from it. At the worst, it turns them down. Here’s what that means for me, and “my MS”, writes Shakira Hussein.
Health funding faces the chop but has Carr saved science?
Budget cut speculation is centring on the Health portfolio, with big cuts rumoured for medical research. But other areas look safer.
MyHospitals site just a baby step, needs help to grow up
In health policy, it is rare to find an initiative that is universally blessed.
What do Australians really think of our health system?
Minister Nicola Roxon was quick to trumpet the findings of a recent survey into perceptions of our health system as evidence of supposed widespread support. However, she neglected to mention concerns many people have regarding aged care, writes Melissa Sweet.
Inside the Department of Health and Ageing: a document dump
A wealth of information about the structures, programs and processes of the Department of Health and Ageing has been released in response to FOI requests for the department’s brief to the incoming government. Melissa Sweet examines the documents.
Changing political landscape means changes to health reform
The new Victorian Liberal government, like the old Victorian Labor government, is a major player in Australia’s health reforms, writes Paul Dugdale, director of the ANU Centre for Health Stewardship.
