Health Minister demands Springborg apologise to public service

Health Minister Cameron Dick has called for Lawrence Springborg to apologise for his personal attack on the integrity of the public service.

Mr Dick said the comments made by Mr Springborg, attacking the public service, showed he was taking a leaf out of Campbell Newman’s management manual.

“Mr Springborg’s comments are an insult to the thousands of men and women working in our health system to improve the lives of Queenslanders and he should apologise,” Mr Dick said.

“He surrounded himself with yes men and women who agreed with everything he said. There was no room for a proper policy debate – just gimmicks and advertisements.

“He didn’t tell the Parliament or the people of Queensland how he wanted to spend $77 million on bureaucracy and spin over patients.

“Instead, the LNP government went to extraordinary lengths to gag debate. They created a culture of fear, intimidation and retaliation.

“Mr Springborg even tried to dismantle a public service willing to provide proper advice to government by sacking 4,000 Queensland Health employees, including 1800 nurses and midwives.”

Mr Dick said he welcomed the opportunity to debate Lawrence Springborg on the health system.

“The interim targets we’ve announced reflect a far more balanced approach than the broad exceptions under the scheme put in place by Lawrence Springborg,” Mr Dick said.

“We have made a pool of $30 million available to Hospital and Health Services to target the 114,000 patients left in the waiting room by Lawrence Springborg.

“We will take a genuine approach to tackling waiting lists across the whole patient journey – from the GP’s referral to an outpatient or diagnostic appointment and then surgery and recovery.”

ENDS