Sustaining health reform

Van Der Weyden, Martin B

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2008.tb01882.x

Topics

Policies need more than development — they need implementation, and continuous reform

In his historic Gettysburg Address, President Abraham Lincoln described the core of democracy as “government of the people, by the people, for the people.”1 We were reminded of these words when we witnessed the Rudd Labor Government vigorously emulating this ideal during the recent Australia 2020 Summit.2

Medical Journal of Australia, Sydney, NSW.

Correspondence: medjaust@ampco.com.au

1. Abraham Lincoln Online. Speeches and writings. The Gettysburg Address. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, November 19, 1863. http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/gettysburg.htm (accessed Jun 2008).
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3. News.com.au. 2020 Summit — the big ideas. Article from The Daily Telegraph. 21 April 2008. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23572203-5016657,00.html (accessed Jun 2008).
4. The Hon Nicola Roxon, Minister for Health and Ageing. Greater focus needed on prevention. 13 February 2008 [media release]. http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/mr-yr08-nr-nr017.htm (accessed Jun 2008).
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7. National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission. Beyond the blame game: accountability and performance for the next Australian Health Care Agreements. Canberra: NHHRC, 2008. http://www.nhhrc.org.au/internet/nhhrc/publishing.nsf/Content/commission-1lp (accessed Jun 2008).
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9. Wilcox S, Lin V, Watson R, Oldenburg B. Revitalising health reform — time to act. Melbourne: Australian Institute of Health Policy Studies, 2007. http://healthpolicystudies.org.au/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_view/gid,155/Itemid,145/ (accessed Jun 2008).
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