FED: Brand s win won t end AMA turmoil

AAP General News (Australia)
08-20-1999
FED: Brand s win won t end AMA turmoil

By Stephen Spencer and Rob Taylor

CANBERRA, Aug 20 AAP - Leadership turmoil in the Australian Medical Association is to
continue despite today's overwhelming rejection of moves to oust the AMA's executive.

AMA members voted 7,078 to 4,124 to reject a motion by former president Bruce Shepherd to
sack the association's leadership over its negotiations with the federal government on private
health care.

It was the third and biggest ballot in Dr Shepherd's campaign that has so far cost the AMA
$200,000.

But Dr Shepherd denounced the vote as a farce, and made it clear he would not be giving up.

"We'll give them a real vote next time," he told reporters.

"I'm not going to give up, I'm more than ever convinced we need new leadership."

He said the leadership had restricted the vote to a motion of confidence, and had not
allowed his supporters to put up a rival team members could vote for.

"Because there was no alternative given, the membership would not vote for instability," he
said.

But AMA president David Brand hailed the win as an overwhelming endorsement of his
leadership.

"The membership has spoken loud and clear - they want the current leadership to get on with
the job," he said.

"The leadership issue has been settled once and for all."

He said the vote was also an endorsement of his attempts to strike a deal with the federal
government on eliminating out-of-pocket expenses for private patients.

"We made it very clear in all our literature, all our mailouts, all our phone calls to all
our members that the approach we wanted to do was to engage government without compromising
our principles," he said.

However, he ruled out contracts with doctors, which would seek to restrict their fees and
allow health funds to offer "No-Gap" health cover.

Notwithstanding this, Dr Brand's success is good news for federal Health Minister Michael
Wooldridge, who took a swipe at those opposed to the AMA's cooperative approach.

"The medical profession can see things are changing. Some in the medical profession would
like to take us back 20 years. That's not in the interests of the Australian public and it's
not in the interests of doctors," Dr Wooldridge said on ABC radio.

"I think it's a pity there's been this conflict and I hope when it's all over they put it
behind them, buckle down and keep working with us to try and provide better health care."

AAP ss/arb/br

KEYWORD: AMA NIGHTLEAD

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