Analysis: Labour has a big advantage in the NHS battlegrounds, but their plan is no small feat
Unsurprisingly, the NHS has become a key election battleground.
So it is not surprising that Labour targeted the health service early in the election campaign – and it does have one big advantage over the Conservatives.
Under Labour, NHS waiting lists have fallen to their lowest point ever and satisfaction with the health service has risen to an all-time high.
The opposite is true under a Conservative government.
But how achievable is Labour’s target of reducing waiting lists to 18 weeks within five years?
Public health leaders described the target as “bold” and said it took Labour 10 years to achieve it the last time it was in power.
Labor says it would achieve this by allowing thousands of bookings to be made at weekends and overnight.
Taking advantage of available operating rooms is a smart idea, and some organisations are already doing this, but it all depends on having a trained, willing and able workforce.
Labour says no staff will be forced to work extra hours and can refuse without challenge, but these are exhausted and stressed workers.
Even if you want to help with this large-scale relief effort, many people may not be in a position to do so, either physically or mentally.
Labor also said it would use millions of dollars raised from the abolition of non-resident taxation to buy extra scanners and diagnostic equipment.
That’s great, but again the key question is, where do we find the staff to run these machines?
