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Revision as of 02:23, 23 July 2002 by 5.134 (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Jeff Kennett was elected in the mid 1990s(?) after disillusionment with the previous labor government. The Labor government was held responsible (rightly or wrongly) for the economic aftermath of the 1980's. (see Joan Kirner)
Kennett responded by instituting one of the most aggressive cost cutting and privatisation programs undertaken by any government. He also diverted money towards projects of civil pride such as restoring parliament house, building the Melbourne Museum.
Some of the privatisation and joint venture projects included:
- Privatising nearly all government hospital Pathology laboratories.
- Privatising the public vetinary laboratory system.
- Privatising (if this is term) building inspections.
- Privatising prisons.
- Privatising gas.
- Privatising Electricity distribution.
- Privatising Electricity generation.
- Semi-privatising water services.
- Various forms of outsourcing services (others will know better than I what he did here).
- Privatising trams.
- Privatising buses
- Privatising trains
- Privatising traffic fine collection (or was this the Bracks government?)
- Privatisation of many road building and infra-structure projects.
... probably many more I cant think of at the moment.
- Radical reforms falling short of privatisation were made to public education (Schools of the Future, which basically gave school councils and school principals more power ... this was well received).
- Relatively mild reforms were made to public hospitals mainly in terms of attempting to achieve efficiency through funding by Case-mix. Attempts to privatise a large teaching hospital failed.
While controversial most of these reforms seemed have an overall positive effect.
A particularly disastrous reform were a massive liberalisation of gambling and allowing poker machines. This has led to both Labor and Liberal now relying heavily on state-sponsored gambling for revenue, at great social cost.
Initially the reforms while sometimes harsh were seen as necessary. Over the years, however, Kennett came to be seen as increasingly remote and arrogant. His electoral defeat, nevertheless, came as shock perpaps particularly to Mr Kennett and the Liberal party.
Mr Kennett is now involved with "Beyond Blue" an important institution for helping depression and is employed as a radio announcer.