MEDIA STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE,
WEDNESDAY 19 OCTOBER 2005
“Senior Doctors Thank Outgoing Health Minister”
“Senior doctors are thanking the outgoing Health Minister Annette King who is moving on to a new beat,” said Mr Ian
Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today.
“Although we had some sharp disagreements with her on specific issues over the past six years, Annette King was always
keen and willing to engage with us over them and over the many things that we both agreed about. She had a strong and
warm respect for the work of senior doctors and other health professionals.”
“Her successes included replacing the ‘market experiment’ health legislation of the 1990s, a more strategic approach to
health services, a greater emphasis on longer term planning, recognition of the importance of workforce development, and
improved and more stable health funding.”
“She invariably earned the respect of senior doctors at the numerous national and local meetings that she had with
them,” concluded Mr Powell.
Ian Powell
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR