Simon Schama, the eminent British historian, Cambridge scholar and lecturer, Oxford Fellow, History Professor at Harvard and Columbia University, and author of the acclaimed BBC series ‘History of Britain’, made the following observation of Edward 1st (also known as the Hammer of the Scots): “However the subjugation of Wales was far more subtle than the surgical application of brute force. Edward had the chilling, uncanny modern knowledge that to break your enemy, you must first strip him of his cultural identity.”

The National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS) is part of a programme designed to remove the Australian Medical Profession from its central role in the delivery of Australian health care.

The Australian medical profession, by action or inaction, will determine the success or failure of this agenda. My aim is simply to provide some researched observations for critical analysis.

My central tenet is that the Australian medical profession has been a remarkable force for good. Anything that would weaken its confidence and ability to deliver world-class medical treatment needs to be opposed in the interests of the welfare of all Australians, particularly the most vulnerable.