Nicholls should apologise to the Wide Bay nurses and midwives he sacked

Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls should use his trip to Bundaberg this weekend to apologise to the 107 Wide Bay nurses and midwives his government sacked when he was Treasurer in the LNP Newman Government, Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Cameron Dick said today.

“The Leader of the Opposition’s ‘extended listening tour’ would be better reconfigured as an apology tour,” the Minister said.

“And it needs to be more than last month’s hollow effort where he said sorry only for not explaining his decisions more clearly.

“Mr Nicholls has made no apology for the cuts to funding, infrastructure and services across Queensland while was Treasurer.

“He hasn’t said sorry for the 1800 nurses and midwives who were sacked – including the 107 nurses here in Wide Bay who lost their jobs.

“There’s never been an apology for the carnage he created and the devastation he left behind in regional communities like Bundaberg, Hervey Bay and Maryborough.

“By contrast, the Palaszczuk Government has been honouring its commitments to restore health funding to the Wide Bay area.

“In 2016-17, Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service will receive $524.5 million – an increase of $35.6 million – or 7.3% - on the previous year.

“And we have invested in the front line – employing an additional 33 doctors and 71 nurses.

“We are also building a new $42M emergency department in Hervey Bay.

“Mr Nicholls can continue to pretend he is sorry for the excesses of the Newman-Nicholls government, but Queenslanders have a long memory.

“Since last year’s LNP conference, Mr Nicholls has also continued to threaten that he will ‘right-size’ the public service.

“We all know that means he will once again cut frontline staff in Wide Bay, just as he did in 2012.”

 ENDS

Media contact:  Michelle Wellington 0437 323 834