LNP Plans More Hospital Job Cuts

Media Release.

Opposition leader Annastacia Palaszczuk says the Newman Government has refused to rule out more doctors, nurses and other frontline health jobs disappearing as part of plans to shed 66,000 government jobs over five years.
Speaking Cairns, Ms Palaszczuk said the Premier had twice ducked opportunities in State Parliament last week to repeat his December 2012 promise that no more government jobs would be cut.
“In particular he refused to rule out shedding 66,000 jobs over the next five years as workers retire and are not replaced,” she said.
“The only conclusion is that more doctors, nurses and frontline health jobs are part of the 66,000 that will disappear in the next five years."
“As those frontline staff retire from hospitals and health agencies across our state they will not be replaced, which means those jobs are gone forever."
“The plan to shed 66,000 jobs including frontline health and hospital jobs comes from a government that promised to boost frontline services."
“Since it was elected it has done everything to cut frontline services using the LNP’s highly political Costello Audit as justification,” she said..
Shadow Treasurer and Member for Mulgrave, Curtis Pitt, said the LNP was hiding behind its regional hospital and health boards when making decisions to sack staff.
“Make no mistake, a decision by the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health service is a decision by the Newman Government,” Mr Pitt said.
“The cuts imposed by the Cairns and Hinterland HHS flow directly from the directive by Health Minister Springborg in the September 2012 State Budget for statewide cuts totalling $3 billion over four years and the loss of 4,100 health jobs across the state."
“It is the Newman Government that has been behind the job losses sustained so far in our community and it will be the Newman Government that sheds more jobs as it allows 66,000 positions to disappear."
“The Premier needs to say today how many of those 66,000 jobs are in Cairns and the Far North."
“It is no wonder our state economy has stalled and unemployment is back at levels not seen since the global financial crisis."
“Every job cut means a hit to local and regional economies and the overall state economy,” he said.