LNP will spend $75 million a year on boards

Health Minister Stephen Robertson has today slammed the Liberal National Party’s recycled announcement they would re-establish hospital boards.

Mr Robertson said when the National Party’s hospital boards were abolished by the Labor Government they left behind a $313 million debt.

“If Mr Springborg established a hospital board for each hospital, in current terms it would cost Queensland taxpayers more than $75 million a year,” Mr Robertson said.

“This is economic vandalism.

“Today’s re-announcement will not provide one more job, it will not provide one more bed and it will not provide one more operation for Queensland patients.

Mr Robertson said $75 million would fund around 8000 elective surgeries each and every year.

“That is 8000 Queensland patients who would NOT get their elective surgery under a Liberal National government.

“This re-announcement has once again demonstrated Mr Springborg would rather spend the health budget on committees instead of patients.

Mr Robertson also said he was appalled Mr Springborg would waste $1 million of taxpayer funds finding out what hospital boards should do, despite announcing this policy on three separate occasions in the past five years.

“Once again the Leader of the Opposition has demonstrated his ignorance of both the health system and his own party’s policies.

“In 2006 Mr Springborg said hospital boards will be responsible for hiring, firing and budgets.

“In 2009 he says they might have a say in hiring, firing and budgets...but he'll figure it out for sure by spending $1 million on a study.

“That is a $1 million waste of money given The Forster Report explicitly considered and rejected the re-establishment of hospital boards.

“We are in the midst of unprecedented global financial turmoil – now is not the time to risk a party of economic vandals.

"The Bligh Government has committed to ensuring the future financial stability of Queensland, and the Liberal National Party has once again demonstrated they are not up to the job.

“Despite a new name, today’s re-announcement confirms Mr Springborg is leading the same old National party with the same old policies.

Ends.

MEDIA: Kate Van Poelgeest 3234 1185 or 0458 449 267