All Queensland Health Unions Remain Silent on Cusp of Federal Budget

Published Sunday, 12 May, 2013 at 02:01 PM

Minister for Health
The Honourable Lawrence Springborg

On the cusp of the Federal Government’s 2013/14 budget, not a single health union boss in Queensland has issued any media statement relating to health funding in 2013/14 despite fears the Labor Government will see through its threat to slash a further $89.5 million in promised funding to Queensland.

Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said none of the bosses of the Queensland Nurses Union, United Voice, Together, AWU or Queensland Council of Unions had issued a single statement calling for anything in this week’s Federal budget.

Mr Springborg said in addition to the Federal Government’s decision to cut $103 million from this year’s (2012/13) health grants to Queensland, a further reduction of $89.5 million was planned by the Federal Government in Tuesday night’s budget.

He said earlier this year a bipartisan Senate Committee had called for Queensland funding to be immediately reinstated by the Federal Government.

“Once again, just like the health payroll fiasco, union bosses have gone into hiding and left it to the LNP to stand up for health workers across Queensland - all because union bosses are putting the job security of Labor politicians ahead of the job security of their own members,” Mr Springborg said.

“Can you imagine a multi-billion dollar Federal Budget is to be handed down in two day’s time, and health union bosses in Queensland haven’t said a peep about it."

[ENDS] 12 May 2013

Media contact: Cameron Thompson 0407 585 230