We have just seen new Labor leadership elected today. They seem to be saying they know what went wrong and don't need to study it.
I would suggest that means they will spend a decade + out of power. Besides the obvious policy bloopers their main problem has been, to me, implementation incompetence of a spectacular order.
Think, e-Health, the NBN, Health Reform, BER, Pink Bats and so it goes on.
Just coming out with 'though bubbles' that have not been carefully thought through has been their greatest failure and people need to know this will stop. Having ideas is about 10% of the work - making things work is the other 90%.
Labor needs to grasp this and work out how to develop this competence - or they are doomed forever - or until memory fades. Having women in the cabinet does not get you there, neither does theoretical talent. Actual real-world skills are needed!
This is important as for our democracy to work we need competence on both sides of politics in actual implementation. I wonder does either side have enough? I fear not on the evidence so far.
The issue is, of course, just crucial if we are to make serious e-health progress! Any one who thinks we have the implementation skills for e-health in Canberra I suspect is dreaming.
Is my analysis right? Would love to hear.
David.
Guess we're about to find out whether the libs have any skills in ths area, what?
ReplyDeleteDavid,
ReplyDeleteAn observation. The Westminster system of government (on which our system is based) has it that ministers set policy, departments implement policy.
IMHO, eHealth policy has been driven by the implementers - hence the approach that treated eHealth as an IT system.
I don't think Labor had a problem in the area of implementation skills. I think they didn't understand the complexity of eHealth information and processes and were persuaded by the snake oil merchants of IT and management consulting.
The government may have changed; it remains to be seen if the root causes have changed. My guess is that we will see which way the wind is blowing when details of any review are made public. Specifically the Terms of Reference and the background and self interests of the reviewers.
"My guess is that we will see which way the wind is blowing when details of any review are made public. Specifically the Terms of Reference and the background and self interests of the reviewers."
ReplyDeleteI fear we may be waiting a long while for that! Time will tell.
David.