Keith Pitt (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you for the unexpected opportunity, Mr Deputy Speaker! Unfortunately, I sat through the member for Lilley's contribution and I thought that it could not go without a response. His statements about Queensland Health were just utterly outrageous and incorrect.

Simply, the facts are these: 60,000-plus patients were on the long dental waiting list when the LNP government came into power. Do you know how many people are on that list now, Mr Deputy Speaker? Zero—not one. They have halved the long waiting list for surgery. Minister Lawrence Springborg is doing an incredibly good job. He has actually had a very difficult portfolio to inherit, with things like the Queensland payroll system for health, which has cost over a billion dollars. A billion dollars for a piece of software! We had people who were not being paid, who were being paid incorrectly and who were getting bonuses they should not have. It was an absolute debacle. So I congratulate the minister on doing such a fabulous job in the time that he had available in their first term. It is just an incredible result.

They were left with $80 billion of debt. It is one of the highest levels of debt for a state government ever, so the people of Queensland were right when they threw out the former Labor state government. The Queensland government, the LNP government—the Campbell Newman-led government—are getting on with the job. They are doing a wonderful job. They have sorted out long dental waiting lists. And as someone who comes from Bundaberg, where we had the Dr Patel scandal—'Dr Death' as he was well known by the media—I can report that the Bundaberg Hospital is now amongst the top four on performance criteria across the nation. They are doing a fabulous job. They provide a great service to the people I represent. I am very pleased that the LNP government is still in control of Queensland Health and I hope that continues. Thank you.

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