EMBARGO: 3.00 P. M.
SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON. E. G. WHITLAM, M. P.,
AT THE OPENING OF THE MAROONDAH SOCIAL HEALTH CENTRE, RINGWOOD,
MELBOURNE, SUNDAY 1 SEPTEMBER 1974
One of the greatest areas of inequality which exists
in Australia is in the field of health care. Too many areas
lack adequate hospitals and too many people don't have ready
access to the services of doctors and other skilled medical
workers. The provision of medical services has simply not kept
pace with the changes in our society. This applies particularly
in our cities. Hospitals, doctors and other services are spread
unevenly and unfairly. They tend to be clustered in long-established
and generally affluent areas. In contrast, people in newer and
frequently disadvantaged areas have not had-proper access to the
amount of high-quality care on which all Australians should be
able to depend. It is quite wrong that people in some areas of our
cities should only have to travel a few miles to receive treatment
at a major hospital, while other people in the same metropolis
are faced with journeys of 20 miles or more to get this treatment.
It is equally wrong that people in some areas should have available
a more than sufficient number of doctors to provide medical
treatment while people in other areas suffer a shortage of doctors.
It has been clear for some years that not enough
would be done to overcome-these inequalities until the Australian
Government, the national government, assumed a greater responsibility
for the provision of hospital and medical services throughout the
nation. It is for this reason that the present Government last
year initiated an urgent and thorough examination of the nation's
health services. A Hospitals and Health Services Interim
Committee, which later became by statute the Hospitals and Health
Services Commission, was appointed to investigate, report on,
and recommend necessary action to overcome both immediate and longterm
problems. The objective of the Commission is:
" The provision of high-quality, readily accessible,
reasonably comprehensive, co-ordinated and efficient
health and related welfare services at local, regional,
State and national levels."
Acting on the recommendations of the Commission the
Government has already started moving towards the satisfaction
of this objective. In the last financial year, for example,
we allocated $ 4.5 million to meet urgent needs for additional
hospitals in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Perhaps the most exciting initiatives have been taken in
the field of community health services. In 1973 the Government
adopted as a statement of policy and principle the recommendations
contained in the report entitled " A Community Health Program for
Australia", prepared by the Hospitals and Health Services
Interim Committee. In addition to the community health program
based on that report, it introduced the Mental Health and Related
Services Assistance Act last year to provide the basis for its
separate, but closely associated, community mental health,
alcoholism and drug dependency program. Both programs were
introduced by the Government to foster the development of a high
standard of community-based health care services. They were in
accordance with the Government's announced health policy of
providing regionally organised, community-based services with
greater emphasis on health education, prevention and rehabilitation,
and as a real alternative to hospital and other high-cost health
resources. A total of $ 17.5 million was allocated under these programs
in 1973/ 74. This consisted of $ 10 million under the community
health program and $ 7.5 million under the community mental health,
alcoholism and drug dependency program. A further $ 7.5 million is
available under the latter program in 1974/ 75, after which it will
be encompassed in the more broadly based community health program.
The majority of projects approved under both programs in 1973/ 74
will be operated by State health authorities. However, a
significant number of volunteer and community organisations have
also received Australian Government financial assistance.
The Maroondah Social Health Centre is a good example of a
community-based service which has received the Government's assistance.
The centre had its origins in the St. Stephen's ( Methodist-Presbyterian)
Social Health Board and was formed as a voluntary benevolent organisatio
at a public meeting at Ringwood on 5 November 1973. Its aim is to
help overcome the deficiency in services dealing with emotional and
psychiatric problems in this area of suburban Melbourne. The
Australian Government first became involved in assisting the project
in April when the Minister for Health, Dr. Everingham, approved a
grant of $ 10,500 to cover salaries and wages at the centre unti).
the end of the 1973/ 74 financial year. A further grant of $ 9,000
was approved in July for the first quarter of the new financial year.
Since that allocation was made the Government has been
considering further assistance. In its deliberations it has benefited
from the representations made by the member for the federal electorate
of Casey, Mr. Race Mathews, on behalf of the Centre. As a result I
am able to announce that the Government has allocated $ 27,908 towards
the project for the last three quarters of 1974/ 75. This includes
$ 23,640 for salaries and $ 1,462 for the rent of the premises from
which the service operates.
This assistance forms part of an integrated network of
community services being developed by the Government in the eastern
suburbs of Melbourne. In the last month the Minister for Health has
approved another substantial allocation to help in the development
of these services. He approved the allocation of $ 600,000 to the
Victorian Hospitals and Charities Commission to buy a private hospital
in Ringwood which is being converted to a day hospital, rehabilitation
centre and short-term hostel for physically handicapped people the
first such facility to be provided in the eastern suburbs.
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I believe that an important lesson can be drawn from these
allocations. They demonstrate the Government's continuing commitment
to major reform in the provision of health and other services.
In view of the current economic difficulties facing Australia,
some people may have begun to doubt that continuing commitment.
They may have begun to think that inflation and related economic
problems would cripple our program of reform. Some may have begun
to think that the effect of our current economic problems might be
to prevent the present Government from making any significant
difference to our society.
I want to affirm now that our program of reform will continue.
I want to affirm now that we will continue to work towards the
eradication of the kind of inequalities that I have described in
relation to health services. If anyone doubts that a sufficiently
determined Government can make a difference in these areas, they
should ask the people of Deer Park in Melbourne of the benefits they
have received from their new community health centre. If anyone
doubts the difference that can be made, they should ask the people of
Caufield of the extra services that have been made possible by our
assistance to the Caufield Community Care Centre. Equally they could
check on the benefits that have flowed from the establishment of
health centres at Ingle Farm and Clovelly Park in Adelaide. They
could also seek the opinion of the thousands of people who are
receiving new ancillary health services in the Illawarra region
south of Sydney or in the western metropolitan region of Sydney itself.
The Government has demonstrated that it can make a difference
in the provision of health services in these and many other areas.
Despite any economic problems we might face, we will continue to
demonstrate that difference. Our commitment to reform does not,
of course, apply only to health services. We have already transformed
the funding of education at all levels. That transformation will
continue. We have already begun in Albury/ Wodonga the first major
program of decentralisation in this country. That program will continue.
We have already begun to inject large sums of national finance into
our ailing urban transport system. That injection will continue.
In the last fortnight we have announced the provision of $ 56 million
to councils to help reduce inequalities between local government
regions. That drive against inequality will continue. And we have
made it quite clear that we will go ahead with the greatly expanded
program for the care and education of pre-school children.
The present Government believes that major reforms cannot be
achieved in any of these: areas without its involvement, without
national involvement. The States by themselves simply don't have the
trwidis to oii' about the chancres that are ncn. dec. The national Government
does have these funds and any. current economic problems will not prevent
it from bringing about improvements in essential services. Our
dedication remains to the creation of the best community services
that the country can afford.
There are those who are quick to criticise government spending.
There are those who would argue that at a time of economic difficulty
we should cut back on all our programs. Nothing could be more short
sighted. Indeed, if we accept that wage and salary increases are part
of the inflationary problem, we should see these programs as helping
to counter that problem. / 4
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For, if we can provide a range of community services
to satisfy the reasonable needs of all citizens and to create
reasonable opportunities for all citizens, we will have taken
a step towards reducing what might be termed the incomes mentality that
is so prevalent in our society. Our aim here is to enable people
not to have to look to their individual earning power to satisfy
so many of their basic needs.
The meeting of these needs by providing adequate
services must depend on Government action. An increased wage
alone is not going to ensure that a worker's children will receive
a proper education. An increased wage will not guarantee access
by that worker's family to high-quality medical and hospital care
at a reasonable cost. An increased wage will not grant him adequate
transport, roads, child care facilities, recreation outlets and
the like, In turn, if that worker can look to the Government to
provide these facilities and services, he will not be so dependent
on seeking ever-increasing wages.
Thus, our program of reform can fulfil two purposes.
It can help reduce inequality in our society. At the same time
it can help produce economic stability. The current economic
climate will not stop the Government from pursuing and achieving
these twin goals.