...good health and wellbeing in rural and remote Australia Magazine of the National Rural Health Alliance Number 44 August 2012 Art for fitness in Canowindra Frontier Services turns 100 A ‘right’ view of politics! Rural health gets its own TV channel Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this newsletter may contain images of people who have died. The National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA) is a collective of national organisations which represent the consumers and providers of health GOOD services in rural and remote Australia. The Vision of the National Rural Health Alliance, as the peak non-government rural and remote health HEALTH organisation, is good health and wellbeing in rural and remote Australia. AND WELLBEING IN RURALAND REMOTE AUSTRALIA PHOTO:2 ARTHURPartyline MOSTEAD August 2012 Partyline August 2012 3 IN THIS ISSUE: EDITORIAL IN DEFENCE OF POLITICS 5 Editorial: In defence of politics 48 Allied health rural and remote 7 Baby steps to universal dental scheme practitioners 50 Ground-breaking advances in 8 The long and winding path to equal now thankfully seems likely, both the disability care international point-of-care testing olitics is too important to be left P Federal Cabinet and the Coalition 11 Judith Adams: a true friend of rural 52 Equipping the future rural health only to politicians and the media. Shadow Cabinet support the proposal Australia 54 International Aassociations of To judge from reports seen and heard that there be a national disability 12 Why rural health placements need a Patients’ Organisations Conference dose of the used car salesman 55 Editor’s breakfast from other countries, Australia is not insurance scheme, there will indeed 13 Health Heroes campaign 55 2011 Mentors of the year the only place in which contemporary be one. politicians are not admired or trusted 14 From paddock, to plate, to waistline 56 Notice Board This is how politics works. This is and in which the occupation they 16 TV channel dedicated to rural health 58 Making a commitment to a bright how important it is. And given the pursue is invested with scant public begins broadcasting future critical nature of the decisions made by credibility. 18 Rural mental health services affected 60 The city or the country Cabinets (which, in the Westminster by funding cap And yet politics is so important. Much system at least, are comprised entirely 20 The Gonski Review of Funding for is made in this new ‘information age’ of elected politicians), how can it Schooling of the democratisation of information be that the public generally is so 22 The Outback Oral Treatment and (which in some parts of the world uninterested in and scathing about the Health (TOOTH) Program p.38 has democratised whole nations). processes and the people of politics? 24 Rural health – the good, the bad and But in countries that are already the balance Many people in Australia were democratic people can exchange as 26 Calling all doctors politicised by the events of November much information as they like without 11, 1975. As with conscientious 28 Don’t be a witness, get into fitness! changing anything unless their objection and football grand finals, 30 Celebrating Frontier Services: A views are mediated by politics. The century of helping remote Australia families and other social groups were Australian public can write whatever 32 Beginning your eHealth journey riven by that historic and dramatic they will in their blogs and by other political event. On one side were those 34 Broadband for all Australians social media but, until the next time who thought the Governor General 35 Rural Placebook they get to vote, many of the decisions had no choice; on the other, those who 36 Walwa Bush Nursing Centre that affect them are made by small 37 Summary of Indigenous Health groups of men and women who provide 38 Finding confidence in Goulburn Base the government of the day. Hospital p.34 40 Defence for bone health Take for example the current situation relating to a National Disability 41 Indigenous clinical health practice p.30 resources Insurance Scheme. No matter how many 42 Safety in the rural workplace debates there are about it, and however 44 Supporting allied health professionals much information is exchanged, what in rural and remote Australia matters are the decisions made by 46 Kel’s Chemist - my journey to opening Federal and State cabinets and by their a community pharmacy in rural NSW equivalent opposition groups. So if, as Partyline August 2012 5 are used in order to abbreviate the herself, trying to form a government discussion, on the understanding that that was not ‘Labor’ but ‘coalition’ or they connote something appropriate to ‘hung’ (now seen for some reason as a most readers!) pejorative). There are several acid tests of the Politics deserves to be seen through a natural disposition of political better lens than that provided by most commentators. None has been more of Australia’s media outlets. It should telling than their attitude to Julia be credited with what it can do every Gillard and the carbon tax. Some day to make lives better or worse. It Members of the Alliance Council meeting with Mark Butler, Minister for Mental Health and Ageing at Parliament House. publicise or sloganise the ‘broken deserves and needs a good reputation, promise’ line because it supports their with many more members of the public political persuasion; others emphasise keen to support it and to be involved were outraged that the Party with the These days the differences between the the totally transformed situation in it. majority in the Lower House was no major political groupings in Australia - in which the Labor Leader found longer the government. as elsewhere - are much narrower than in earlier periods. This could be given What was it about the dismissal of Prime a negative spin, by saying that it merely Minister Whitlam which stimulated reflects the pragmatism of parties who such widespread involvement in what Baby steps to universal dental scheme want to be in power and therefore was (‘merely’) a political event? And move to the middle ground. Or it may ‘A healthy mouth for every Australian’ why did it divide people so decisively be given a positive spin, by saying that was the catch-cry of those present at and arouse such passionate response? if both sides of politics agree on most of Dental Policy Forum in Canberra on If it was a catalyst for the public’s the important issues, then it is indeed a 15 August. People from 80 health greater interest in politics, what are civilised and safe political situation in consumer and provider organisations the potential events which might which we find ourselves. came together to agree on how best soon have an equivalent effect on the to secure better dental health care in that, in the meantime, the additional children of those who were divided in What proportion of Australians have Australia. resources promised by the Federal 1975? an active interest in politics? If half Government should be provided as are uninterested, meaning that come Those at the meeting were appalled Did The Dismissal create new political entitlements to those in greatest need. election time they are disinterested, it at the stories told about children and interest or was it merely a lightning This includes low and middle income might be fair to hypothesise that the young adults with numerous decayed rod around which pre-existing families, Aboriginal people and Torres other 50 per cent are divided three and missing teeth; encouraged by political inclinations clustered? And Strait Islanders, and people in rural and ways: one third left-ish, one third right- the commitments made in this year’s what factors determine such natural remote areas. ish, one third undecided. It is hard to Budget; and determined to continue inclinations? Perhaps political watch programs like the ABC’s Q&A to work together for a much-improved There was strong agreement on the predispositions are determined on the and even Insiders (much better political national oral health system. need for a greater focus on oral health basis of people’s views about the role journalism than the former) without promotion, including through public of markets, governments, compassion Because governments are being being struck by the predispositions health measures relating to fluoridation and/or the redistribution of public fiscally conservative, it is understood of the people who are selected as and food and nutrition. resources. (Surely they are not that there will need to be ‘baby steps’ commentators. Which of the panellists determined by the personality of the towards what most of those at the A communiqué from the Forum is on Insiders has a genuinely open and political players?) meeting see as the ultimate goal: a available at www.ruralhealth.org.au balanced view as between ‘left’ and universal scheme for oral health for all ‘right’ (these old-fashioned labels Australians, funded through insurance. NRHA All of those at the meeting accepted 6 Partyline August 2012 Partyline August 2012 7 PHOTO: STEVE LOVEGROVE The long and winding path to equal disability care and stroke. In 2004-05 around 21,800 those with a disability, and in positive that continuing rehabilitation is his year’s Federal Budget committed T people nationally were admitted to developments like the National required to maximise the chance of the $1 billion to support the first stage hospital with TBI: 40 per cent due to Disability Insurance Scheme. patient returning to the fullest possible of a National Disability Insurance falls, over 30 per cent due to motor level of independence and quality of Scheme (NDIS), an insurance- When it comes to care for rural people vehicle accidents and 16 per cent due life.