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Praise for Hunt's first year
Posted 28 February 2018
Greg Hunt has now served a year as Health Minister and it appears the man formerly voted the World's Best Minister has delivered, winning praise from all directions.
Reported to have an incredible intellect and almost perfect recall - some say he has a photographic memory - the minister is said to have quickly picked up the issues of his new portfolio despite no background in health.
PBAC chair Professor Andrew Wilson said he had developed "a good working relationship" with the minister and that Hunt's dealings with the PBAC, which operates at arm's length to government, were "appropriate".
"The PBS is an important program for every government," Wilson said, noting he had worked with a large number of ministers dating as far back as Michael Wooldridge, who headed the portfolio from 1996 to 2001.
"There has always been a healthy interest in what happens in the PBS."
Wilson said a lot of stakeholders took issues of concern to the health minister, yet the current minister and his staff were "appropriately reflecting these concerns" in their interactions with the PBAC.
"I think this minister knows that I think this minister behaves in that way," Wilson said.
Strong patient group advocate Nettie Burke, who has worked with a number of ministers and currently heads up Cystic Fibrosis Australia, also remarked on the "refreshing" approach Hunt had brought to the portfolio in the past year.
"Hunt has given us more time than any previous minister," Burke said.
"For over an hour he sat and listened and really wanted to understand what cystic fibrosis was and what it meant for patients. He is intelligent and a good listener and it is a refreshing change to work with a minister like this."
A law graduate and Fulbright Scholarship winner, Hunt also has a Masters of International Relations from Yale University. Apart from a stint at McKinseys as an engagement manager, most of Hunt's career has been in politics, albeit specialising in the environment portfolio from 2007 to 2016.
Hunt was appointed to health in January 2017, one month before being named as the inaugural Best Minister in the World for 2016 - an honour that this month went to Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati as the 2017 recipient.
In the past year Hunt has successfully established industry agreements with all major industry associations - the first time a government has achieved simultaneous partnerships with all sectors.
It appears having a minister who listens, understands and acts has proven to be the perfect remedy for the beleaguered health portfolio and a dose of good medicine for the government's relationships with industry, key committees and other stakeholders.
Megan Brodie
Posted 28 February 2018
Greg Hunt has now served a year as Health Minister and it appears the man formerly voted the World's Best Minister has delivered, winning praise from all directions.
Reported to have an incredible intellect and almost perfect recall - some say he has a photographic memory - the minister is said to have quickly picked up the issues of his new portfolio despite no background in health.
PBAC chair Professor Andrew Wilson said he had developed "a good working relationship" with the minister and that Hunt's dealings with the PBAC, which operates at arm's length to government, were "appropriate".
"The PBS is an important program for every government," Wilson said, noting he had worked with a large number of ministers dating as far back as Michael Wooldridge, who headed the portfolio from 1996 to 2001.
"There has always been a healthy interest in what happens in the PBS."
Wilson said a lot of stakeholders took issues of concern to the health minister, yet the current minister and his staff were "appropriately reflecting these concerns" in their interactions with the PBAC.
"I think this minister knows that I think this minister behaves in that way," Wilson said.
Strong patient group advocate Nettie Burke, who has worked with a number of ministers and currently heads up Cystic Fibrosis Australia, also remarked on the "refreshing" approach Hunt had brought to the portfolio in the past year.
"Hunt has given us more time than any previous minister," Burke said.
"For over an hour he sat and listened and really wanted to understand what cystic fibrosis was and what it meant for patients. He is intelligent and a good listener and it is a refreshing change to work with a minister like this."
A law graduate and Fulbright Scholarship winner, Hunt also has a Masters of International Relations from Yale University. Apart from a stint at McKinseys as an engagement manager, most of Hunt's career has been in politics, albeit specialising in the environment portfolio from 2007 to 2016.
Hunt was appointed to health in January 2017, one month before being named as the inaugural Best Minister in the World for 2016 - an honour that this month went to Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati as the 2017 recipient.
In the past year Hunt has successfully established industry agreements with all major industry associations - the first time a government has achieved simultaneous partnerships with all sectors.
It appears having a minister who listens, understands and acts has proven to be the perfect remedy for the beleaguered health portfolio and a dose of good medicine for the government's relationships with industry, key committees and other stakeholders.
Megan Brodie
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