Next, health

Citation

(2005), "Next, health", International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Vol. 54 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijppm.2005.07954cab.001

Next, health

The Australian Productivity Commission has released a report evaluating the National Competition policy reforms which were put in place in the mid-1990s. The report concludes that the policy, which targeted inefficient areas of the economy including those regulated by state governments, had been “a landmark achievement in economic reform”. However, the Commission is not resting on its laurels: it also says that there needs to be a new round of changes, beginning with the healthcare system, which is split between state and federal governments.

This consurs with a recent pronouncement from Bob Carr, the Government’s independent advisor on industry reform, who has put health reform at the top of his agenda. Mr Carr has flagged his willingness to renegotiate responsibilities between the federal and state governments and to even consider surrendering administration of health entirely to the Commonwealth government. He favours a “simple” mediation between the states and Commonwealth to sort out the problem quickly.