|
September 12, 2006
So it looks as if the privatisation of Medibank Private is going to be deferred until 2008. The Howard Government has justified the sale in three ways. Firstly, that there is no good reason to retain Medibank Private in government ownership. Secondly, it would being good for the private health insurance market. This means that it would ensure more competition in the private health insurance market. Competition means lower premiums for consumers is the inference. Thirdly, Medibank's customers would benefit from greater efficiency with a privatised fund delivering lower management expenses. Private is good public is bad is the philosophy of Nick Minchin, the Finance Minister.
True, there would be increased competition, if other private health insurance companies were prevented from owning it through carving Medibank up. However, a privatised Medibank Private would need to make a profit for shareholders. Wouldn't Medibank Private then be run to maximise profits, as Julia Gillard claims? Doesn't that mean increased premiums for consumers?
You can see why there is growing public opposition to a major float of Medibank Private. The postponement measns that the proposed sale as an election issue. Labor would oppose the privatisation of Australia's biggest health fund and argue that a for-profit fund would fuel premium rises.
|
I would like to extend an invitation to you to join in on a collective blogging section of our upcoming winter issue of Reconstruction
Here is the original call:
Theories/Practices of Blogging
Our intent in this section of the issue will be to collect a wide range of bloggers and link up to their statements in regards to why they blog (something many of us are asked) and any statement they have on the theories/practices of blogging.
If you already have a post on this you can feel free to use it, or, if you are interested, you can submit a new one.
We will link to each statement from the issue at our site, with the intent of creating a hyperlinked list of statements on blogging that can serve as an introduction to blogging (or an expansion of knowledge for those already blogging).
If you are interested please contact me at mdbento @ gmail.com