To demonstrate the model of board of management-led local health services, so praised by federal politicians recently, is a complete sham one has to look no further than a health service in East Gippsland. Their board last week sanctioned changes to arrangements for visiting medical specialists that has started to result in resignations that will eventually devastate the quality service that has been painstakingly built up over 20 years by the local doctors.

The board has taken no advice from medical staff about the disastrous consequences of their decision for the local community but relies on transient self-serving management advice that such a move is financially smart. Next will be the public outcry, the finger pointing and the back down. All this exhausts the rural doctors who want to concentrate on treating patients and such spats are a major disincentive to attract new doctors to rural areas.

Anthony Chisholm announced today the promise of rank and file pre-selection of candidates in the seats of Bowman, Dawson and Herbert will be overturned in favour of appointments by the ALP National Executive. Members have been calling for their say and in light of the ALP internal report regarding the shambles of the state election in Queensland, this could occur again at the next federal election.

Seats such as Dawson and Herbert are in regional areas where candidates have a higher profile than there city counterparts. James Bidgood’s sudden departure has left a gulf that may be filled by Bowen Mayor Mike Brunker against Frank Gilbert, whom Kevin Rudd cannot tolerate.

In Herbert, Tony Mooney is expected to get the nod, a long-time friend of the PM’s — the ex Townsville Mayor was dumped by residents after 19 years at the helm. Both will have difficulty in getting the full support of members and the lack of a grassroots support could be very costly for Rudd in seats that must be won by the ALP.

Good to see the strange goings on at Principals Australia getting put under the microscope. But your informant missed the most interesting thing which is that chair Neville Lyngcoln has arranged a “Melbourne secretariat” for himself which involves payment of PA money to Lyngcoln Consulting.

This is his company, it has no website or White Pages listing and seems to only exist to get money from PA for unknown services. Nice work if you can get it. Meanwhile we NSW principals get completely shut out of what is supposed to be our peak body. An inquiry is in order.

All parliamentary staff on North Terrace know about Michael Atkinson being an anti-ironist. Once his government driver arrives at his home first thing in the morning the driver is required to go inside and iron/press Mike’s pants!

What has coalesced even more loathsomeness toward Michael from staff was his request for the aforesaid driver to, on one occasion, run an errand to and from Mike’s house to pick up a single item that could have been purchased for $2 at the pharmacy downstairs. The multi-skilled driver has been doing this for four years.

Many in the fashion industry are chuckling about some of the statements coming out of the increasingly desperate heads of Myer. Just weeks after losing top Australian designer Camilla and Marc to David Jones — one of Myer’s top selling Australian brands which fled because of the confused brand strategy — comes this in today’s half-year results announcement:

Myer continues to attract the biggest and best names in Australian and International fashion, and the addition of new brands during the half generated strong incremental sales growth. Myer is now the exclusive Australian department store home of three of the world’s most sought-after brands — Balmain, Temperley London and Calvin Klein Collection, and from April will exclusively stock the premium Givenchy, Philosophy Di Alberta Ferretti and Moschino labels. Myer has also added to its portfolio three of Australia’s leading designer labels, Fernando Frissoni, Aurelio Costarella and Nina Maya.

Che? Temperley London and Balmain? Yes, so well know in Australia that shoppers will be busting down the doors to buy them. Myer’s strategy is to basically to grab any brand that will sell to them. Increasingly, designer or luxury brands do not want to sell in Myer because of the ‘at all costs’ focus on private labels like Regatta, Basque and Blaq.

Camilla and Marc is just the latest in a long line of brands like Carla Zampatti, Industrie and plenty of others who have bailed to DJs because Myer no longer works for them. Givenchy, Ferretti and Moschino have all been stocked by Myer in the past, but are periodically dropped due to poor sales. Good luck this time guys!

And remember CEO Bernie Brookes’ much-hyped big European trip a couple of years back to convince luxury brands like Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton et al to open ‘booteeks’ in the new Myer Melbourne store? Well it all came to naught and is no longer spoken about. Number of luxury brands to open in Myer Melbourne? Nil. And this at a time when they are expanding in Australia (go visit Chadstone). It’s time for some really solid analysis about Myer’s performance. Driving profit growth from cost reduction is not a strategy for the long term.