With so many design faults, the Mersey Hospital takeover will have engine failure before it leaves the garage, write Jennifer Doggett and Edwina Burns.

CPD fellow Ian McAuley analysed Tony Abbott's troubled takeover of Mersey hospital for online news site Crikey.

This article proposes a 'cooperative federalist' approach to funding and workforce integration with the aim of improving primary care across Australia over 5 to 10 years.

In anticipation of next week's COAG meeting and following the Treasurer's comments on federalism earlier this week, John Menadue introduces a report commissioned by the Victorian Government that calls for Australian Partnership Agreement between the States and the Commonwealth. Menadue applauds the Victorian Government for pursing reform of federalism to improve the quality of service provision, particularly in health and education

Lyn Allison critiques the Prime Minister's recent embrace of centralism and questions whether it is underpinned by some vision or is simply driven by populism and an attempt to gain the political advantage. She looks to New Zealand's unitary model, with its devolution to local sectors, as a model we can learn from. That system makes a clear distinction between policy formulation and service delivery - and it works

Andrew Leigh and Glenn Withers question why Australia has stopped investing in its future. They identify four reasons and propose policy solutions. This week they look at short-termism and the divided responsibility. Short-termism afflicts both the public and private sector and must be countered by our approach to policy development as well as specific policies relating to superannuation, R&D, investment and Reconciliation. Divided responsibility refers to the interminable buck-passing between federal and state governments which will only be resolved by a back to basics rethink of our system.

John Menadue in a speech to the Australian College of Health Service Executives in Brisbane on the 22nd of February 2005.