If John Howard toughs it out over Labor's PBS amendment, the major risk for the Government is that this becomes an excuse to air all the dirty linen, connections, donations and practices of Big Pharma which critics argue represent the darkest side of globalisation.
For instance, does anyone fancy doing an analysis of which former Howard staffers are now working for Big Pharma. From Crikey's list of former Howard staffers we have the following:
• Paul Cross: fromer Michael Wooldridge's office, now at drug giant Merck Sharpe & Dohme.
• Mark Elliott: former John Howard adviser, now at Pfizer as Corporate Communications Manager.
• Catherine McGovern: former Nick Minchin staffer, now at Glaxo Smith Klein.
• Craig Regan: formerly worked in John Howard’s office, now works at Pfizer.
• Kieran Schneeman: former McGauran chief of staff, now the chief executive of Medicines Australia.
• Ken Smith: formerly worked in Michael Wooldridge's office, now at Pfizer.
