Far North Queensland Health a Top Priority for the LNP to Destroy Jobs

Far North Queenslanders working on the Cairns Base Hospital redevelopment would be thrown on the jobs scrapheap by the LNP if they won the next election, Health Minister Stephen Robertson said today.

Mr Robertson said the Opposition’s pledge to scrap the $446 million expansion of the Cairns hospital would result in over 2,000 local jobs losses at a time when Cairns can least afford it.

“Mark McArdle and Lawrence Springborg are playing Russian roulette with the people of Cairns and their economic future,” Mr Robertson said.

“The Cairns Base Hospital redevelopment is delivering a real boost to the local economy, creating the equivalent of 2,000 full-time jobs over the life of the project which is already underway.

“It’s staggering that the LNP is planning to scrap a project delivering this many jobs at a time when the local tourism industry is struggling.”

Mr Robertson said the LNP’s pledge to build a new hospital in Cairns was under-funded by at least $500 million. Actual work on a new hospital would not start for at least 1-2 years after an election, leaving a huge black hole in the local jobs market.

Meanwhile, the Bligh Government is getting on with the job and creating new jobs and delivering for the health care needs of the Cairns community.

“We’re delivering a $446 million redevelopment of the existing hospital, purchasing new land for future health services and fast-tracking the opening of an Oncology Unit,” Mr Robertson said.

“Over the next four years the Government will deliver 82 new over-night and day only beds and expand medical, surgical, rehabilitation services and provide new and expanded cancer care services for Cairns residents – an expansion that the LNP originally praised when it was announced last year.

“Now under the LNP’s under-funded and politically motivated commitment, not only would they throw the workers employed on the hospital expansion on the jobs scrapheap, the Cairns community would not get a single new bed and or new service for the next 5 years.

“This is yet another sign of the contempt the LNP has for North Queenslanders, who deserve better than this dishonest and shabby opposition.”

MARTIN PHILIP: 3225 2680 or 0407 675 008