Economic (mis)management in Australia has understandably been influenced by the experiences of countries such as the UK and the USA with which Australia has traditionally had a close relationship. However, the uncritical acceptance of economic rationalism is an indication of our nation's seduction by the possibility of a ‘quick fix’ for a struggling economy. In accepting economic rationalism there has been a dismissal, or at least a failure to take account of, both past Australian experiences and the overseas experience—including the (...) recent experience of a close neighbour, New Zealand, whose health system is under severe strain.The introduction of economic rationalist programmes into the Australian health sector was an attempt to contain expenditure and at the same time reduce dependence on the public system. This has failed to happen on both counts. Its only real ‘achievement’ has been to produce yet more evidence of the practical inadequacies of economic rationalism in general. (shrink)