AMA presidency In his campaign to attain the presidency of the AMA, Owler advocated for a co-payment for visits to general practitioners in order to gain the support of general practice for his presidency and to provide "windfall profits" for medical practitioners. Following the strong opposition of the Australian Labor Party to the proposed changes to the remuneration of general practitioners, Owler publicly opposed the measures.
Academic career Owler holds the position of Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital at Westmead Clinical School (also known as
Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children),
University of Sydney. He operates on paediatric and adult conditions in several Sydney hospitals, including
Sydney Adventist Hospital and
Macquarie University Hospital. Owler is involved in several clinical studies including those on the topic of
normal pressure hydrocephalus and deep brain stimulation surgery for the treatment of
cerebral palsy. He has co-authored more than 40 academic papers. He has also written several opinion pieces for leading Australian papers and online media. Owler is a driving force and the face of the NSW 'Don't Rush' anti-speeding campaign, and has appeared on billboards and in television ads warning of the risks and damage associated with road accidents. This advocacy arose from discussions with the relevant state minister while Owler was president of the NSW branch of the
Australian Medical Association. In 2015,
The Medical Journal of Australia removed professor
Stephen Leeder, formerly the journal's
editor-in-chief after he criticised the decision to outsource production of the journal to the global publishing giant
Elsevier. All but one of the AMJ's editorial advisory committee resigned following the decision to sack Leeder, and wrote to Owler asking him to review the decision. In May 2015, Owler criticised a Federal Government plan to assist
Curtin University open a medical school for undergraduates, arguing that medical students struggle to find internships or specialist training places. In 2017, Owler chaired a Ministerial Advisory Panel that provided advice on the
Victorian Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2017. The Bill was introduced into the
Victorian Parliament on 20 September 2017.
Political career On 30 October 2018, he became the
Australian Labor Party's candidate for the Sydney seat of
Bennelong for the
2019 Australian federal election. Owler was defeated in his attempt to win a seat in Federal Parliament. ==See also==