AMA 16th National Conference 2004 - Opening Conference Speech by AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, Sheraton Brisbane

Fellow doctors, ladies and gentlemen...

Welcome to beautiful Brisbane and welcome to the AMA National Conference for 2004.

The more than 150 delegates to this conference represent all the States and Territories, all the medical craft groups, GPs and other specialists, researchers, doctors in training and medical students.

All aspects and elements of the medical profession and the Australian health system are embodied at this Conference.

And you are all here under the banner of the Australian Medical Association - the AMA.

You bring with you the ideas, the views, the opinions, the passion and the commitment of more than 28-thousand AMA members across the country.

And you bring the concerns of every Australian patient.

We should all be proud of the AMA badge and all it represents.

We are the peak medical organisation in Australia.

We are a strong and successful advocate for doctors.

We are a strong and successful advocate for patients.

And we are a strong and successful advocate for towns, suburbs and communities who need doctors at a time when Australia is experiencing an unprecedented doctor shortage.

The AMA's views and opinions and policies are listened to and respected by Governments, the media and the Australian people.

In election years, we are listened to more acutely.

Over the next couple of days, it is our job to discuss and generate new ideas and policies.

Importantly we will hear from the Health Minister, Tony Abbott, and the Shadow Health Minister, Julia Gillard, about their health policies and what they mean for doctors and patients.

This key political debate is not only a great coup for the AMA and this Conference, it is a wonderful opportunity for two very able politicians to test their health policies on the toughest audience of all - us!

Doctors, as you know, are very hard to please.

But we will also be offering our own ideas for judgement.

Later today you will get an update on medical indemnity.

Tomorrow there will be an important policy session on public hospitals - "Public Hospitals in the Health Care System" - with some very senior and experienced Speakers, followed no doubt by lively debate.

Then on Sunday we will be looking into the future of medical practice with a Session called "To e or not to e" - a look at technology and medicine.

In between all this will be a host of other features:

• The presentation of AMA awards
• The AMA Oration in honour of Professor Ross Webster will be delivered by Mr Noel Pearson
• The Admission to the Roll of Fellows
• The AGM and the election of office bearers
• And the Conference Dinner at Seaworld

They don't call us Queenslanders the entertainers for nothing!

Later this afternoon, the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, The Right Honourable Campbell Newman, will officially open the Conference.

I'd like to acknowledge the presence at the Conference of our distinguished overseas delegates:

• Dr George Rae, Chairman of the British Medical Association's Representative Body
• Dr Tricia Briscoe, Chairman of the New Zealand Medical Association, and
• Mr Cameron McIver, CEO of the New Zealand Medical Association.

A warm welcome to you all.

As you would appreciate, it takes a lot of effort to put these conferences together and it cannot be done without sponsors.

I'd like to make special mention of our major sponsor - American Express.

American Express is an excellent business partner for the AMA and we greatly appreciate their support for the Conference and other AMA activities.

So, on behalf of the Executive and the Federal Council of the AMA, welcome to our Conference and may it be enjoyable and constructive for all of you.

It's now time to get straight down to business and present some Awards.

The first of these is the MJA/Wyeth Award...

Ends