When my mother suffered a stroke a few months ago, my heart filled with dread at the thought of her lying at the mercy of our oft-maligned public health system. I needn’t have worried – the treatment she received was first class, and she’s on the way to a full recovery.

We’ve rightly come to expect top-shelf healthcare, and politicians meddle with it at their peril. But here’s the rub: universal health coverage is a socialist principle. And Australia despises socialism … doesn’t it?

Australia has long been a world leader in equality, but has recently lost its way.Credit: Getty

Australia spent much of the 20th century striving to be a fairer society. When the new millennium dawned, we arrived with work still to do, but were in better........

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