On a day when we read that patients are waiting for more than eight hours to be admitted to a public hospital, Dr Wooldridge decides to boost specialist doctor incomes by $230 million.

" This shows the priorities of the Coalition Government very clearly" said Dr Con Costa, President of the Doctors Reform Society.

" Instead of funding our public hospitals so that they can be modern, efficient and properly staffed they are giving huge amounts to the private health insurance industry and the private specialists".

Marion Downey, Health Writer of the Sydney Morning Herald says in this morning’s paper:

" Health will be a contentious issue during the election campaign with the Coalition attempting to prop up the faltering private health insurance system and Labor defending Medicare."

Dr Costa says " We think that Marion Downey’s statement is correct. The track record of the Coalition shows that it will give billions to the private sector while our important public hospitals and teaching institutions go begging."

written and seconded by Alf Liebhold & Con Costa
4 September 1998