Dental Care

It was a week where both sides of politics trashed each other’s dental policies. But if you are sick with bad teeth, only one thing mattered. The current Chronic Disease Dental Scheme (CDDS), having treated a million Australians, faced the chop from the federal government.

Thanks to a disallowance motion in the parliament by Coalition Health Shadow Peter Dutton, it may be saved and debate is underway.

Coalition MPs lined up for their suffering constituents. Independent Bob Katter also strongly backs this effort to ensure chronic disease sufferers can get the dental treatment they need. Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor are considering their positions.

Continue reading "Ow! Labor’s dental plan has some serious holes" »

With the Federal Budget adjusted this week in an attempt to drag us back into the black, it’s time to go through government spending with a fine-toothed comb and pull back wherever we can. I’d like to help with this process if I can.

Wading through the bits of the 2011-2012 Budget that actually say actual things in actual English (that is, the bits that don’t say things like “continuing benefits to the bottom-line beyond the forward estimates”, which I assume means “um”) I was struck by some comparative numbers.

One of the numbers was $222 million, which has been earmarked to extend the National School Chaplaincy Program.

Continue reading "Government brushes holey molars for holy rollers" »