The Qld Nurses Union has released this media statement, the Labor Opposition and myself as Shadow Health Minister proudly stand by the Nurses Union in their campaign on behalf of their members and better Health care for Qlders! Tell Newman and Abbott our public hospitals are not for sale Many nurses and midwives are wearing maroon for Qld Day, Mr Newman – a hospitals “Not for Sale’ maroon ribbon Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) members around the State are using Queensland Day, 6 June, to again highlight the State Government’s policy of privatising public hospitals, community health services and State Government nursing homes. Nurses and midwives have taken Premier Campbell Newman’s advice to wear maroon for Queensland Day and many are wearing maroon anti-privatisation ribbons. The QNU is also launching its anti-privatisation bumper sticker today. The first batch of 10,000 stickers is being distributed this week and they continue the QNU’s public information campaign on the Liberals and Nationals’ hospital sale agenda. The QNU recently completed its first two weeks of Statewide radio advertising on the issue. (See copies of the bumper sticker and ribbon attached.) In response the State Health Minister, Lawrence Springborg, has used taxpayers’ money to write overnight – at the same time the LNP was legislating to try and restrict freedom of expression and public campaigning by unions - to Queensland Health employees, trying to deny the government’s stated privatisation policy. QNU assistant secretary, Des Elder, said Mr Springborg can write all the letters he likes, everyone knows the LNP State Government cannot be trusted on this, as they have a clear privatisation agenda for our free public hospital and community health system, which has been outlined in their Health Blueprint and Peter Costello’s Commission of Audit report. “The State Government might be trying to hose the issue down ahead of the federal election, but allowing private companies to run public hospitals and community health services is clearly their policy. It might not happen next week, but it is coming if they get their way. The result could be whole public health services being privatised or partial privatisation of those aspects of the public health service that are seen as more profitable like radiology, pathology and pharmacy services. “And people are increasingly starting to realise that the chances of this occurring will increase substantially if Tony Abbott and the Liberals and Nationals win the next federal election. “In fact, the federal Opposition has made the sale of public hospitals and Medicare a serious federal election issue, with its support for privatisation of public hospitals,” Mr Elder said. At a federal level, the Australian Financial Review newspaper recently reported (5 April 2013): The federal Coalition will consider pressing for an increase in the number of public hospitals run by private operators if elected, expanding on models developed in the Liberal-led states of Queensland and Western Australia. The move would be a boon to private health providers in the country, including listed private hospital operator Ramsay Health Care. At the State level, the Queensland LNP government is already considering selling the Sunshine Coast University Hospital and the new Queensland Children’s Hospital to private operators. Mr Elder said the State LNP and federal Coalition are using dodgy words like ‘contestability’ to disguise their real intentions, because they are unwilling to be honest and straight-forward with the Queensland and Australian people about this important issue. “However, the State LNP and the federal Liberals and Nationals are now clearly in the business of privatising our free public hospital system and, as a signatory to the national healthcare agreements, the Federal Government can exercise considerable power in this regard. As a result the issue will feature prominently in the lead up to this year’s federal election. “The QNU is ensuring the people of Queensland, including the State’s nurses and midwives, know exactly what this LNP State Government and the federal Liberals and Nationals are up to in terms of our public hospitals and community health services. Today’s Queensland Day workplace and community activities are helping with that. “Last month we completed our first two weeks of radio advertising across the State, to bring the issue to the community’s attention. It is very real issue and communities across the State, not just nurses and midwives, should start campaigning immediately to ensure their hospital is not sold now or at any time in the future. “The fact is, privatisation of public hospitals is bad news for patients and staff. It leads to uncertainty and instability in service provision, it sees governments often taking facilities back to clean up private sector failures and will eventually lead to the imposition of costly fees for most patients. If we allow a powerful private-sector lobby to be established in the public hospital system it will demand access to such revenue, just as similar lobbies have in other privatised sectors. “Such an outcome will turn back decades of achievement by our parents and grandparents, who built our free public hospital system – often in the face of determined opposition from powerful vested interests in the private and medical sectors. “The question we must all now ask ourselves is: What type of system will we leave our children and grandchildren? A quality, affordable, free public hospital system for all, or a privatised mess?” Mr Elder said.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 01:24:19 +0000
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