Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Wednesday took an offensive stance as he announced that his Labor government would push with the planned health-care system without the backing of the Liberal lawmakers from Western Australia.

Rudd has all the reason to ignore Western Australia after he got the support of at least seven labor party state and territory leaders, representing some 22 million or 90% of the nation's population.

On Tuesday, leaders from New South Wales and Victoria, the most populous regions in Australia, as well as five other states and territories, threw their support to the planned health care program. Under the agreement, the states would shoulder 40% of the health bill, which effectively junked the previous proposal that provides for 60% of the funding to be paid by the states.

Rudd announced that his government would push ahead with the agreement as he told Western Australia that it cannot delay the program and hold the whole nation hostage with its opposition with the plan.

"You get on with the business and you try and work things out separately with the West," he was quoted by Nine Network television as saying.

Colin Barnet, prime minister of Western Australia was opposing the health care program that called on states to give at least 33% of their goods and service tax revenue to the central government, which was estimated to reach some A$50 billion ($46.5 billion) over the next three years.

But all is not lost between Rudd and Barnett as both leaders pledged to continue dialogs to reach a middle ground.

"We already have a number of intergovernmental agreements involving most of the other states and territories, where Western Australia, for its own reasons, has chosen not to sign on," Rudd added.

The restructuring of Australia's health care system is central to Rudd's campaign in the coming national elections that are held every year.