Australia recently had a Federal election, where, as usual, health spending featured prominently with both sides promising to spend more. There is little questioning of what it is hoped to achieve or whether proposed spending is based on actual need. When it came to...
It has not been a good week for big public health. In a massive backdown, the Australian Heart Foundation has pulled a series of advertisements which suggests that people who don’t get a “heart check” don’t love their families. I did not see the TV version but heard...
Australia is about to go to the polls and as usual health is a “hot topic”. The turnover of prime ministers here has caused some bemusement. For those reading overseas, Australia does not elect its prime minister. To that extent we follow the UK system where the...
Regular readers know that I am a strong supporter of the rights of individuals to live their lives as is best for them, without interfering with the rights of others to do things their way. Thus, whilst I do not personally follow it, I have no issue with anyone who...
Those old enough to remember the 1970’s may remember the P 76 motor car. It was supposed to be the best car ever built. The manufacturers told the public it was based on best research and information. In the real world the car bombed. People found it to be an awful...
Recently I had the great privilege of being part of the Australian launch of the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR). In the 50 years to 2013, smoking rates in Australia fell sharply. In the 1980’s we led the world. However, a sense of “we know best” has...
