Discussion: Development of Adelaide Railyards

[Howie]

There'll be a meeting today at the RAH hosted by members of the medical establishment about the MJN hospital. It'll be a packed theatre... and there'll be another one next week.

[Wayno]

There'll be a meeting today at the RAH hosted by members of the medical establishment about the MJN hospital. It'll be a packed theatre... and there'll be another one next week.

howie is our own private "fly on the wall"

[stumpjumper]

It's an interesting indication of how politics works in this town that we are now seeing primetime television advertisements putting the government's case for the new hospital on the Trans Adelaide site.

A new hospital at that site is obviously a partisan political issue - Labor's policy is for and the Liberals' against.

Therefore the appearance of these ads pusing the for case, produced by the government at public expense, must be a concern.

The ads are clearly structured to respond to the opponents of the project. A senior medical specialist assures us in close-up that the hospital is a good thing, bring ing all the trust associated with doctors to bear. The camera zooms in on the experienced eyes and the kindly, measured tone expresses good sense, reliability and care.

The choice of such a person to put the case is a direct response to the vocal opposition to the plan from a group of senior specialists.

I'm all for 'robust debate' but not when one side is using public funds to access prime time television.

That there has not been more concern about this tactic says a lot about how the Rann government's continual manipulative use of the media has become the norm in this state.

[SRW]

It's an interesting indication of how politics works in this town that we are now seeing primetime television advertisements putting the government's case for the new hospital on the Trans Adelaide site.

A new hospital at that site is obviously a partisan political issue - Labor's policy is for and the Liberals' against.

Therefore the appearance of these ads pusing the for case, produced by the government at public expense, must be a concern.

The ads are clearly structured to respond to the opponents of the project. A senior medical specialist assures us in close-up that the hospital is a good thing, bring ing all the trust associated with doctors to bear. The camera zooms in on the experienced eyes and the kindly, measured tone expresses good sense, reliability and care.

The choice of such a person to put the case is a direct response to the vocal opposition to the plan from a group of senior specialists.

I'm all for 'robust debate' but not when one side is using public funds to access prime time television.

That there has not been more concern about this tactic says a lot about how the Rann government's continual manipulative use of the media has become the norm in this state.

It is a sad affair, but one surely not limited to our state or Mr Rann's government. This abuse of public funds for essentially partisan advertising is a pastime for politicians of both major parties, and the previous Commonwealth Government was particularly notorious for it (especially in the lead up to elections and with WorkChoices). The thing to note about Rann Labor, however, was that in their original platform they decried the Olsen Government for such behaviour and pledged to cease it upon election.

There need to be strict rules on government advertising, in legislation. I'd suggest looking to Canada, or Ontario in particular; the Auditor-General is empowered to review all government advertising, in advance of its release, against the standards of the relevant act, which, among other things, prohibits the name, voice or image of any cabinet minister. Of course, while such legislation would help limit the government's budgetary discretion, it will really take an honest politician to not exploit (or be seduced by) the capacity of incumbency.

[bm7500]

The site was chosen after a thorough investigation of available land across the CBD...

so there's no land outside the CBD? *sigh*

I just had it confirmed from a friend of mine in the ADF that Keswick Barraks will be put on the market shortly!

[Wayno]

The site was chosen after a thorough investigation of available land across the CBD...

so there's no land outside the CBD? *sigh*

I just had it confirmed from a friend of mine in the ADF that Keswick Barraks will be put on the market shortly!

wowza! that is big news...

[Shuz]

I read in the paper the other day, in the opinion poll - Should the Marj be built?
88% said NO, 12% said YES, out of 788 callers.

[fasterthanlids]

I just had it confirmed from a friend of mine in the ADF that Keswick Barraks will be put on the market shortly!

Wo! *Off topic warning...*

Potential here for so much, TOD should be the least we look at for such a site.

On a somewhat related note, I can't find a link, but there was an article about fortnight ago about Adelaide United's (after last night, Untied) new chairman Mel Patzwald. The stadium issue was once again brought up, and it was his firm belief that the goal should be to build a stadium near the interstate rail terminal. 2+2= Square Stadium in West Parklands fringe or Keswick and Marj going ahead as planned?

[omada]

The Marj SHOULD be built, at the proposed location.

I know many nurses who work at the RAH (my partner for a start), so I can tell all you FIRSTHAND, that the RAH is an outdated rabbit warren, unsuited to modern healthcare. OK, so a group of Doctors are against it hey? Doctors are not at the coalface, they do not interact with the patients on a daily basis, they are not involved with the wards and services on the same level as nurses. Spending $300M will be futile, we need a new hospital, from scratch.

[Will]

Doctors are not at the coalface, they do not interact with the patients on a daily basis, they are not involved with the wards and services on the same level as nurses. .

:wank:

So where exactly are the doctors?

Just remember that next time you visit the hospital it is the doctors who treat you. As such their opinions are just as valid if not more so in this debate.

In fact they have brought up some major issues which have not been properly addressed by the governemnt. For example how are the students at the University of Adelaide Medical School supposed to learn if they lose access to patients?

[omada]

Will said:

So where exactly are the doctors?

Just remember that next time you visit the hospital it is the doctors who treat you. As such their opinions are just as valid if not more so in this debate.

You have misunderstood me Will, the Doctors yes "treat" the patient, but they do not deliver patient care, are they the ones trying to organise single bed rooms when a TB patient is admitted? (The new hospital will have mostly single bed rooms) Are they the ones involved with toileting, showering, USING the ward, no - the doctors waltz in for a few minutes per patient, prescribe drug orders etc etc - the nurses I feel , have a more valid opinion on how the building "functions". I am not saying that Doctors are unimportant, just reiterating that their opinion re: the hospital is not as important as many would believe.

[bm7500]

I just had it confirmed from a friend of mine in the ADF that Keswick Barraks will be put on the market shortly!

Wo! *Off topic warning...*

Potential here for so much, TOD should be the least we look at for such a site.

On a somewhat related note, I can't find a link, but there was an article about fortnight ago about Adelaide United's (after last night, Untied) new chairman Mel Patzwald. The stadium issue was once again brought up, and it was his firm belief that the goal should be to build a stadium near the interstate rail terminal. 2+2= Square Stadium in West Parklands fringe or Keswick and Marj going ahead as planned?

My comment above is not off topic! You have taken it out of context as it was posted in direct response to a comment Wayno made... If you read your own post, you go on to mention Keswick Barracks yourself

[bm7500]

In other news...

I was sooo pissed of last night when i saw an advert on TV for the Marj and why we need it.. blah blah blah.. Now the Government has resorted to prime time adverstising to 'sell us' the idea that we need a new hospital on the rail yards.

Mr Rann et al, i think there are much better ways to spend our tax payer dollars than resorting to a propaganda campaign for the 'Hospital we had to have'

- End of Rant -

[rhino]

how are the students at the University of Adelaide Medical School supposed to learn if they lose access to patients?

Honestly, Will! Do you really think students walk over to the hospital in the middle of a lecture to check on something and then walk back to their lecture? I'm sure you don't, that's a ridiculous argument. This hospital could be located anywhere within reach of public transport and the students could still access it for university learning.

[Will]

how are the students at the University of Adelaide Medical School supposed to learn if they lose access to patients?

Honestly, Will! Do you really think students walk over to the hospital in the middle of a lecture to check on something and then walk back to their lecture? I'm sure you don't, that's a ridiculous argument. This hospital could be located anywhere within reach of public transport and the students could still access it for university learning.

Don't offend me with your sarcastic arguement. No student in any university course would ever walk out of a lecture and then come back. But what they do, is after the lecture go and visit the patients. And how do I know? because I'm a medical student! And it is not the same having the hospital next door to the medical school as oppossed to 2km away.