A division of the Liberal Party of Australia
THREE MORE BLIND MICE
02 September, 2008
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Townsville based Senator, Ian Macdonald, has demanded that the State Labor Government fulfil its election promise of 78 more beds for Townsville Hospital, and labelled Kevin Rudd, Anna Bligh, and federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon “three more blind mice” for their inaction over the crisis at Townsville Hospital.
“At the last State Election, the Labor Government, in which Ms Bligh was then Deputy Premier, promised 78 new beds for Townsville Hospital. Now it is 8 new beds next week and 30 more next year, and it appears even they have only been granted in response to this latest crisis. Even 38 extra beds would not have been enough for the Hospital to cope last week. We need the whole 78,” said Senator Macdonald.
“A local newspaper yesterday carried a cartoon depicting our three local State MPs as Three Blind Mice, pretending not to see the health crisis in Townsville. Well there are three more blind mice – a Premier who has been watching too many re-runs of 'Eight Is Enough' and thinks that that is a good hospital beds policy; and a Prime Minister and a federal Health Minister who have ignored my letters to them regarding Townsville Hospital.
In April I wrote to Health Minister Roxon regarding the lack of a cardiac surgeon at Townsville Hospital. After I was fobbed off with a reply from her Parliamentary Secretary who offered no assistance, in May I wrote to Mr Rudd on the issue. A reply from his Chief of Staff again offered no help.
Clearly when he said ‘I’m Kevin, I’m from Queensland, and I’m here to help,’ it was just a cheap political line that meant nothing. If it did mean something, he would be ensuring his fellow Queenslanders had adequate health care. A bed and a qualified surgeon should not be a luxury in a major city like Townsville,” said Senator Macdonald.
“The State Labor Government is advertising heavily in the inter-state media, encouraging people to move to Queensland. Yet in the last ten years, only 300 extra hospital beds have been provided by the Beattie/Bligh Government, while Queensland’s population has increased by half a million! That is an absolutely staggering statistic.
I call on both State and Federal Labor Governments to fix this crisis immediately The State Government promised an extra 78 beds for Townsville Hospital only two years ago, and Mr Rudd promised to ‘end the blame game.’ Townsville residents demand that both Kevin Rudd and Anna Bligh deliver on their promises now, before someone dies.”