Come on, Howard, come on, come on

The Prime Minister has done a backflip. He has decided not to sell the Commonwealth's share in the Snowy Hydro Electric Scheme. This, Miss Eagle believes but please contradict her if she is wrong, is the first time that John Howard has done a backflip in a positive way. To be sure he has done backflips before but they have been dishonest - like the statement that there would never, ever be a GST. He introduced one. Then there are the "non-core" promises which can be broken with impunity but Howard alone knows where the "none-core" definition begins and ends.

The question needs to be asked - what took him so long. He claims to listen to Australian people but this is hogwash. He didn't listen when a quarter of a million people marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and many more crossed bridges across Australia asking for an apology to the First Nations of this country. He didn't listen when 100,000 people marched in Sydney against Australia's involvement in the Iraq War and when opinion poll after opinion poll made clear that Australians did not want involvement without UN support.

There are two suggestions for the turn around. One is the blunt force of radio talk-back host Alan Jones and his long established interest in water. The other is that something was afoot within the Liberal Party and there are rumours of a down and dirty meeting brokered by Malcolm Turnbull with the Prime Minister and some angry back benchers including that well-known friend of the PM, Senator Bill Heffernan.

Miss Eagle appeals to the Prime Minister's sporting instincts. How about making it a hat-trick, John. Now that you have the got the message about how the electorate feels about the great sell-off to your mates, make it three out of three. Pull the plug on the sale of Telstra. Pull the plug on the sale of Medibank Private.

OK, Miss Eagle realises no one has done the social history of Telstra or Medibank Private but both have contributed to our social development and our national values. Telstra has many unique qualities - unique among the telcos of the world, particularly the government controlled telcos of the world. Anti-competitive practices within Telstra could have been and can be rectified without selling off the family silver. At a time when American-style health economics is severely affecting Australia's health system, Medibank Private is about to be sold. Medibank Private which has been a major instrument in containing private health costs. Medibank Private which has been a major instrument in providing competition and keeping health insurance premiums from going through the roof altogether. Medibank Private which has been made so successful by so many Australians: Australians who give their support to Medibank Private above any other health fund. So go for the hat-trick, John.

Come on, Howard, come on, come on.

Come on, Howard, come on.

Medibank Privat-ised?

Warwick Hatfield - who rattles quickly through all the sporting news on RN's Breakfast every morning from Monday to Friday - is nothing if not a wit - and, at the speed at which he delivers his news, you have to be quick on the ear and the uptake.

To-day, Warwick fitted in his comment on the decision by the Howard Government to privatise Medibank Private in two words: Medibank Privatised.

Oh Warwick, we hope not.

Vote NO to the sale of Medibank Private

IMMEDIATELY

VOTE NOW

The Age is having a vote on the sale of Medibank Private.

These votes do not go on forever.

Please go to

http://theage.com.au/polls/national/form2.html

and

VOTE NO, NO, NO

The sell-off of Medibank Private

Nothing must ever stand between a politician and a pot of money. The latest honeypot to put a gleam in the eyes of John Howard's venal government is Medibank Private. Miss Eagle's medical insurance is with Medibank Private. She has had her moments over her lifetime with Medibank Private but still believes it gives good service, is accessible, and - importantly - more fairly priced although she could have lived without the latest price rise.

Kenneth Davidson points out that, apart from initial seeding money provided by the Australian Government, Medibank Private has been built on the contributions of its members. This, surely, must give Medibank Private members a role as stakeholders in the business of Medibank Private. Please write to your Federal member of Parliament, to the Treasurer, and to the Minister for Health and explain to them your views - no sell-off of this membership driven organisation.

Postscript: Miss Eagle checked the dictionary to ensure she was using the word 'venal' correctly. She thinks the following definition indicates she has used the word appropriately.

1. a. Open to bribery; mercenary: a venal police officer.
b. Capable of betraying honor, duty, or scruples for a price; corruptible.
2. Marked by corrupt dealings, especially bribery: a venal administration.
3. Obtainable for a price.