Fed: Phelps calls for review of Carnell s appointment

AAP General News (Australia)
02-16-2001
Fed: Phelps calls for review of Carnell s appointment

By Elizabeth Gosch

CANBERRA, Feb 16 AAP - The Australian Medical Association today called for a review
of Health Minister Michael Wooldridge's appointment of Kate Carnell to a GP training board.

Dr Wooldridge is under fire from doctors and the opposition for appointing his landlady
and former Liberal ACT Chief Minister Ms Carnell to head the new GP Training Board.

The AMA slammed the appointment of Ms Carnell as inappropriate.

AMA president Kerryn Phelps today said the government should review the decision and
Ms Carnell should not accept the appointment.

"I would like to see the government announce that there is an independent selection
process to go back to the drawing board to open up this position for an appropriate tendering
process," Dr Phelps told journalists.

The AMA believed the process of choosing Ms Carnell to head the new board had been
neither transparent nor independent.

"I don't believe that Ms Carnell should accept this appointment, I don't believe that
she has the appropriate qualifications required for this position," Dr Phelps said.

"Kate Carnell is one of the minister's friends, she is a Liberal politician and there
is absolutely no doubt that this was a friend appointment and we would like to see this
particular position, which is so important to the strategic direction of general practice,
reviewed."

Dr Phelps said the government would have to face the political consequences if Ms Carnell's
appointment was allowed to proceed.

"It seems to me that there is a trend developing of appointments being made which are
not independent on very important committees where the membership should be independent,"

she said.

Other GP groups have voiced support for the appointment.

Australian Division of General Practice chairman Julie Thompson said she was not concerned
about the appointment.

"We're quite happy with it, we think she should be given the opportunity to chair the
board," Dr Thompson told ABC Radio.

The Royal Australian College of General Practice (RACGP) also welcomed Ms Carnell's
appointment and asked she be given a chance to prove herself.

However Dr Phelps rejected the groups' comments, saying they were influenced by government
funding.

"The AMA is the only independent voice of GPs now, all other groups are receiving government
funding," she said.

"In that respect, I think they are somewhat compromised in their ability to criticise
anything that the minister does."

AAP eg/daw/jas/bwl

KEYWORD: GP CARNELL (CARRIED EARLIER)

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