Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. The minister would be aware that three of every four Queenslanders live outside Brisbane. The manning levels at five major hospitals in these areas are now officially unsafe. A further three are officially critical and possibly unsafe. This leaves nearly one-third of the state in deep crisis. Is the minister aware how infinitely worse the situation is in the northern half of Queensland, where there is now only one doctor per 1,026 people, whilst the Australian average is one doctor per 358 people? Is the minister further aware that his predecessor, Minister Wooldridge, stated publicly that in Egypt alone there are thousands of doctors, Coptic Christians, who would come to Queensland tomorrow if a job and visa were offered to them? Would the minister not agree that the substantive action taken by Premier Beattie to address the collapse of the system is (1) to have a talkfest; (2) to increase by 20 the medical school places—

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is a most serious matter, and I really would appreciate the serious nature of this matter being taken—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Kennedy will come back to his question.

Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Would the minister not agree that the substantive action taken by Premier Beattie to address the collapse of the system is (1) to have a talkfest; (2) to increase by 20 the medical school places in Brisbane universities, universities servicing arguably the most doctor-overserviced area in Australia; and (3) to launch a multimillion dollar advertising campaign to blame the federal government? Finally, could the minister assure the House that he will refrain from the temptation of similarly playing politics and immediately address the request to increase the number of graduates at JCU—the only non-metropolitan university in Australia and geographically at the epicentre of the problem—a request involving an increase from 60 to the urgently needed level of 150 graduates per year?

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! In calling the Minister for Health and Ageing, I think he will have difficulty in answering the whole of that question. I invite him to keep his answer reasonably short.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do appreciate the question that the member for Kennedy has asked. I think he makes a number of very telling points about the behaviour of the Beattie government. I do commend the concerns that he has—concerns which he shares with the member for Leichhardt, the member for Herbert and many others in this place—about improving health services and medical services in North Queensland. I can inform him that, under this government, the James Cook University medical school was established. Under this government, in 2004, the numbers of medical students at James Cook were increased. I was delighted just recently to go to the graduation of the first class of medical students from that fine school at that fine university.

I take on board the points which the member for Kennedy has made. I think I can assure him and other people concerned about this issue that this government is always looking at ways to increase our medical workforce. Certainly his representations—as well as the representations by the members for Leichhardt and Herbert—will be taken into account as long as the government continues to make decisions in respect of the medical workforce to the great benefit of the people of Far North Queensland.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.