The National Party\'s Mr Causley said while the states must accept blame for the failure of mental health services, both federal and state governments had to work together to improve services.
Sydney Morning Herald
Technically he is correct. The states provide the detention centre, I assume, under section 120 of the constitution; I assume this means they also arrange the staffing, including medical staff.
Still, it is buck-passing. When the Federal Government put people in those detention centres, they have a duty of care to ensure that the people are well-cared for. Ad absurdum, would the Federal Government shake their fingers and say "It\'s not our fault, it\'s the the states responsibility" if the states were executing the detainees?
Mind you, to be fair, the states are doing a bit of healthcare buck-passing as well.
NSW Premier Bob Carr said dental health had always been a commonwealth responsibility and the federal government was shirking its obligations.
SMH
Health care is a federal responsibility now?
The easy similarity here is that both governments have been there a long time, and are now very much about holding on to power than anything else.
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