FED: What the newspapers say - Thursday December 18

AAP General News (Australia)
12-18-2003
FED: What the newspapers say - Thursday December 18

SYDNEY, Dec 18 AAP - Federal Government decisions on taxing alternative fuels and a
$619 million medical indemnity bailout are the focus of several major Australian newspapers
today.

The Australian newspaper editorial looks at the facts behind the medical indemnity
bailout deal that will cost taxpayers $619 million over four years to shield doctors from
the cost of being successfully sued.

The newspaper says the deal is "a very big win" for doctors, but will not prevent the
medical profession from holding Canberra to ransom.

It says the specialist medical colleges carefully control admissions, which not only
keeps the numbers down and incomes up but "gives specialists the industrial muscle they
need to secure subsidies from the taxpayers that other professional groups would not dare
demand".

"No government will willingly risk a doctor's strike. And the AMA knows it," the newspaper says.

Sydney's Daily Telegraph newspaper attacks doctors for "the shameful manipulation of
public fears over the availability of quality health care".

"Doctors take an oath to protect and defend the public from the scourge of illness,
injury and disease," the newspaper says.

"Their self-interested antics, led by their union, the Australian Medical Association,
are a massive breach of this supposedly sacred pact with the community.

"Is it any wonder that the taxpayer - stiffed again with this bailout - has no time
for these sob-stories from the industrially selfish."

The Sydney Morning Herald says the decision to impose a 12.5 cents per litre excise
on liquified petroleum gas (LPG) as part of a new excise on alternative fuels sends mixed
signals.

The move has been sweetened with a three-year, $1000 subsidy for converting to LPG
or buying an LPG-powered car, in a bid to ensure Australia continues to report the highest
per capita usage of LPG worldwide.

"It appears the planned excise will soon throw this healthy progress into reverse,
especially after the $1,000 subsidy on conversions runs out and the full rate of excise
comes into effect," the newspaper says.

The Australian Financial Review points to the medical indemnity bailout, higher education
and tourism as examples in which the Government has attempted to "wash away electoral
sores with taxpayers money".

The newspaper says while in some cases the government can claim to have been held to
ransom, there is no such excuse in the fuel excise debate.

"After 2001, the previous election year, we can hardly feign surprise that Mr Howard
is doling out electoral bribes again as his date with destiny draws near," the newspaper
says.

But it says beneficiaries of such largesse are never grateful - doctors continue to
threaten resignations because the indemnity bailout is not high enough, while the alternative
fuels industry is aghast at paying some kind of excise simply because it has not paid
any in the past.

In state-based editorials, The Age says that in a perfect world, opportunities available
to Victorian secondary students would be equal.

But in reality, the newspaper says, students from independent schools do disproportionately
well in the Victorian Certificate of Education exams.

It says education has the potential to allow students to overcome social and economic
inequalities.

"When the school system perpetuates inequality, it fails, sending a message to government
that it must try harder," it says.

Melbourne's Herald Sun says police command is far too tardy in responding to public
anger at the growing number of unsolved gangland executions.

"Detectives do not have the power to force suspects or witnesses to answer questions.

So far their targets are happy to take advantage of this cover," the newspaper's editorial
says.

And it says the sensible move is to involve the Australian Crime Commission, which has
coercive powers.

The Adelaide Advertiser says South Australians should be able to celebrate their state's
educational excellence as school leavers who receive their scores today.

The newspaper says South Australian's deserve an education system that does not discriminate
between the privileged and the battlers, rural schools and metropolitan, indigenous or
disadvantaged students.

"This will require some brave decisions and further funding but there are few people
unwilling to pay the price for the ultimate investment in our state's future," the paper
says.

AAP tma

KEYWORD: EDITORIALS

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