Australia - Tony Abbott no friend of health care especially when it comes to your children..

Does he really care..
We were quite surprised that Tony Abbott was the best candidate for prime minister that the opposition party could come up with.

We got to know Mr. Abbott back in July, 2009.. New South Wales (NSW) had just introduced a series of new anti-smoking laws. One of the most important laws that were implemented was the law to make it illegal to smoke in a car when children are passengers. (New South Wales - July 1, 2009 - Great Day for Tobacco Control..)

During a debate on this subject at Sydney University, Tony Abbott claimed that NSW was playing nanny state politics with its ban on smoking in cars when children are present. Obviously this man did not prepare for the debate when he spouted off the comment that "smoking in front of children is a trivial issue and states should not intervene" just to gain attention. (July 2009 - New South Wales politician smoking comment totally inaccurate..)

Every parent wants their children to lead healthy and happy lives. There's an abundance of evidence that children are more susceptible to the negative effects of second-hand smoke. Mr. Abbott from what we gather, has three daughters that by now may have their own children. Doesn't he care if his loved ones are exposed to tobacco smoke that could possibly effect their health.

Just recently in the UK the chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners (GPs), Dr. Steve Fields has stated, parents that smoke in front of their children at home at in cars are "committing a form of child abuse".

As pointed out by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Australia in a February 2009 paper the evidence of second-hand smoke harm to children in enclose spaces is extensive and irrefutable. A 2004 survey of over 1300 Australians in 800 households showed over 90 percent (including 73 percent of smokers) support banning smoking in cars carrying children. A Harvard School of Public Health report indicated that secondhand smoke in cars can be up to 10 times more of a health risk than secondhand smoke in a home.

If this man is elected advances in tobacco control will most likely be weakened.

The National Preventative Health Strategy to make Australia the healthiest country in the world by 2020 would disappear.

From what we understand Mr Abbott had his chance to reform the health system when he was Minister for Health under the Howard Government instead citizens saw that government strip the public health system of millions of dollars of Commonwealth funding, starving communities' hospitals and limiting health care delivery. (Tony Abbott Taking Health Care Back To The 1800s, Australia, Australian Nursing Federation's Federal, Medical News Today, 2/15/2010)


Tony Abbott is the wrong person to be Prime Minister of Australia..