Ministers Knowingly Peddle False Claims

Media Release 

Shadow Health Minister, Jo-Ann Miller, says Health Minister Lawrence Springborg has been caught out trying to peddle false claims about the former government’s position on government nursing homes.

“But wait, there’s more. Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek sat in silence next to the Minister knowing that what Mr Springborg said was totally wrong,” Mrs Miller said.

She said Mr Springborg today “revealed” in State Parliament documents he alleged showed the former government planned to close government nursing homes.

“These documents related to a health department idea floated in 2009 which the then Labor Government rejected,” Mrs Miller said.

“The fact is no Minister supported the idea and the proof of that is the fact that until Mr Springborg became Minister for Health those nursing homes continued to operate.

“He is the one who is throwing the lives of elderly Queenslanders and their families into chaos by closing nursing home beds.

“But far worse was the fact Mr Langbroek sat in silence beside Mr Springborg today when he knows full well the Health Minister’s claims are wrong.

“On 4 August 2010 Mr Langbroek — then Opposition Leader — asked a question of the Premier and the answer specifically ruled out a government exit from nursing homes. (See Hansard below)

“Mr Langbroek also tabled documents including one which was tabled yet again by the Health Minister today.

“Mr Springborg has peddled false claims about the former government and his colleague Mr Langbroek has sat idly by while knowing what the Health Minister was saying was untrue.

“Both of them should go back to Parliament and apologise for their actions designed to deliberately deceive Queenslanders.

“Unfortunately I am not surprised by this behaviour because it simply reflects the low stands of LNP Ministers and the low standards the Premier sets for his government.

Hansard extract……..

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE — 4 AUGUST 2010

Aged Care

Mr LANGBROEK (10.30 am): My first question without notice is to the Premier. I refer to the

health minister’s charter of goals of 31 March this year—page 30, item 50—which under the title ‘Measure’ clearly states that the minister is expected to complete the transfer of aged-care licences to non-government and private sector facilities. I table a copy. (Tabled papers) It also includes the 15 Queensland Health run homes that are to be privatised, and I ask: will the Premier confirm that Labor has reached a new low with its plans to privatise to sell off nursing homes?

Ms BLIGH: I thank the honourable member for the question. The government has absolutely no intention of privatising any of the state owned nursing homes. That is a policy that has been put on the record and repeated over and over again. There is, however, some interest from some nursing home operators in the non-government, not-for-profit community sector and there have been discussions with them. Why are they looking at assistance from the state government? Because they have not been able to secure the finance they need to access the places available through the Commonwealth government.

In fact, as I recall, the last time the Commonwealth government issued a round of licences for new aged-care beds there were very few operators in Queensland who put forward any proposal to take up those beds. There were surplus that were not bid for. That seems to me an extraordinary thing in one of the fastest growing states in Australia. It speaks to the importance of both sides of politics revisiting the issue of how we provide for aged-care facilities. We know that not only do we have a growing population but also we have an ageing population and it has to be remedied.

How did we get into the situation in Australia where needed facilities in aged care are so far behind? Labor has been in power federally for 2½ years. How long was Tony Abbott in a portfolio looking after some of these issues? More than a decade. Everybody in this House knows that if there was one area of underfunding in the Howard government it was health. Not only was it underfunded; $1 billion was taken out of the Commonwealth-state health agreement. When Tony Abbott had a chance in government he ripped the guts out of the health portfolio. He took Commonwealth investment out of health. Anybody who believes he will not do the same thing again in areas like aged care, in areas like hospitals—

Opposition members interjected.

Ms BLIGH: Those opposite do not want to hear it, but it is true and they know it. He has already gone to the electorate and talked about the things he will cut. He will be like every other Liberal leader federally: he will cut spending in social services like aged care and health. The member for Surfers Paradise coming in here feigning care for people in aged-care facilities is nothing short of a fraud. Their side of politics has an absolutely shocking record in this regard. The Queensland government does have ownership of some aged-care facilities and we will retain them.