Union Bosses Bankrolled Outsourcing Policies under Labor

State Parliament has been told union bosses wrote out cheques for hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Labor Party as Labor Ministers were authorising almost $1 billion in outsourcing of health services.

Health Minister Lawrence Springborg today tabled examples of “mega-cash union donations” to the former Labor Government.  

He said this was proof union bosses were now simply feigning their opposition to recommendations in the Commission of Audit Report that further outsourcing options should be considered by the Newman Government.

Mr Springborg said in 2010/11 the previous Labor Government authorised a surge in outsourcing of health services with the value of contracts leaping from $800 million in the previous year, to almost $1 billion ($980 million) in 2010/11.

“And what was the response of union bosses right in the midst of this surge in outsourcing?” Mr Springborg asked.

“It was to write out great big ‘Thank you Cheques’ to the Labor Party.

“The first in was Bill Ludwig from the AWU, who gave three cheques to the Queensland Labor Party in the 2010/11 financial year, totalling $290,000 of members’ money.

“That’s how concerned the AWU was about Labor’s $1 billion worth of outsourcing in Queensland Health alone in just one year.”

Mr Springborg said outsourcing of some services to non-government and private sector providers had always enjoyed bipartisan political support from Labor and the LNP.

“What we are now seeing is union bosses feigning concerns with outsourcing policies, yet under Labor these same union bosses bankrolled outsourcing policies,” he said.

“It just shows their current campaign is about looking after Labor and not about looking after patients and health workers.”

Mr Springborg said some of the iconic organisations that provided services as a part of Queensland Health’s outsourcing partnerships with private and non-government providers included the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Blue Care and Careflight.

[ENDS] 1 May 2013

Media contact: Cameron Thompson 0407 585 230