CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE PLAGUES NEWMAN GOVERNMENT AS UNEMPLOYMENT LOOMS LARGE

Media Release

Queenslanders continue to distrust the Newman Government with Lawrence Springborg’s claims about health the latest to be questioned and the LNP’s unemployment record floundering.
Shadow Health Minister Jo-Ann Miller said while Campbell Newman and the LNP Government continued to cherry-pick statistics dealing with crime and health, the Premier’s unemployment target continued to lie in tatters.
“Just two days ago, we saw full page, taxpayer-funded advertisements in newspapers across Queensland claiming massive improvements in health,” Mrs Miller said.
“Today we see media reports that Queenslanders have little confidence in this ongoing propaganda from the Newman Government."
“That’s not surprising when Campbell Newman and Lawrence Springborg slashed 4400 health jobs across Queensland including 1600 nursing and midwife positions."
“Campbell Newman’s taxpayer-funded spin is ignoring the true story on health.”
Mrs Miller said the Newman Government’s own statistics showed there were almost 245,000 Queenslanders on the waiting-list for the waiting-list.
“It’s the policies of the Newman Government that are making it harder for Queenslanders to get on the waiting list in the first place,” she said.
“The Abbott Government has also axed funding under the National Partnership Program that was introduced under the previous Federal Labor Government."
“This is what the LNP have been relying on to improve certain areas of health delivery but have continually failed to acknowledge, preferring to falsely claim all credit."
“What do Campbell Newman and Lawrence Springborg plan to do when that funding runs out?”
Mrs Miller said some of the numbers for patients who had made it to the waiting list were disturbing.
“Statewide, 42% of category one cardiac surgery patients aren’t seeing a doctor within the recommended periods,” she said. When you look at neurosurgery across the state, 80% of patients across all categories are not seeing a doctor with the recommended time.”
Mrs Miller said health and crime remained matters of serious concern for Queenslanders.

“One statistics the Newman Government can’t ignore is unemployment. At 6.8%, it’s the highest unemployment rate since 2003 and Campbell Newman is missing his target of 4% by a country mile,” she said.