Oh no doubt...but imagine if no-one lived out here. And there was no agriculture or mining? That's not an inconsequential amount of GDP...and it can't happen if we aren't supported to be out here.
The thing that annoys in terms of service equity is that it wasn't always this way. My little town of 3000 plus people has rarely been larger and never smaller.
There are numerous people my age and younger still in town who were born in its hospital... nowadays, expecting mothers have to be driven two hours to give birth in Tamworth or Dubbo. I spoke to an older lady who'd had a double mastectomy in our hospital in the 80s...theatre is now closed and she'd be flown to Sydney for that sort of procedure. If you decently injure yourself out here or require any constant medical supervision...you are evacuated by rescue helicopter to Tamworth or Newcastle or perhaps even Dubbo...how is this cheaper and more equitable to everyone in the system than continuing to to supply services to the community in the community?
And if the Nationals are the only ones out here bleating about how they stick up for their constituents (no matter how successfully or otherwise) then is it any wonder that people vote for them despite their character & professional limitations?
The economic argument isn't a great one. Last time I checked agriculture made up 3% of gdp and we export 3/4 of our produce overseas. Ironically most of the stuff grown for domestic consumption is closer to the major population centres.
Most new mining sites are self contained fifo these days. Mining makes up 6-8% of gdp.
I know the whole travelling for procedures is a pain in the ass but medicine is a numbers game. The more deliveries/procedures a hospital sees, the lower the complications risk.
The other side of the coin is trying to manage ever growing health costs. The current trajectory is over 6% growth a year. Believe it or not its cheaper to transport patients then to keep an operating theatre going. So saving money on high risk regional base hospitals looks like a win-win to govts.
The modern Nats are a far cry from the Nats of yesteryear. I used to work for the Farmers Association a long time ago so knew some old school Nats mps and advisers. Most of them wouldn't piss on Barnaby if he was on fire.
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