Media Release.
Shadow Health Minister Jo-Ann Miller says the Newman Government’s admission of plans to sack more frontline hospital
and health service workers confirms it intends to cut 66,000 more jobs over five years.
“The Minister for Health Cuts and Closures, Lawrence Springborg, has let the cat out of the bag,” Mrs Miller
said.
“Typically he is describing as a ‘cut’ the fact federal hospital funding to Queensland is scheduled to rise by
around $1 billion over the next four years."
“He is laying the groundwork for more mass sackings of doctors, nurses and other frontline workers and trying
to shift the blame from his own government’s slash-and-burn approach."
“If
he is not blaming his own hospital boards for job cuts, he falls back
on Canberra-bashing and blames the federal government which is lifting
health funding to our state."
“Once
again Mr Springborg never mentions that in the September 2012 State
Budget he directed the state’s health boards to cut their budgets by a
total of $944 million over four years as part
of $3 billion in LNP cuts."
“In
addition to his cuts to health board budgets Mr Springborg directed
cuts of $1.646 billion in staff costs — in other words, job cuts —and
cuts of $403 million in administrative costs over
four years."
“Mr Springborg’s total cuts in the 2012 State Budget add up to $3 billion over four years."
“It is his own cuts that have caused the loss of frontline jobs, but he still tries to blame others.”
Mrs Miller said the Federal Budget papers showed health funding to Queensland rising
from $3.1 billion in 2012-13 to more than $4 billion in 2016-17.
“The
Premier and Treasurer have had ample time to reject suggestions they
plan to shed another 66,000 jobs over the next five years as government
workers retire and are not replaced,” she
said.
“Obviously
our hospital and health system will share in those job losses, which is
why Mr Springborg is in such a panic to divert attention from the mess
he is creating in Queensland Health,”
Mrs Miller said.
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