Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no greater priority for a government of any jurisdiction, state or federal, than health. At least that's what I believe, and that's what the Labor Party at the federal level and the Labor Party in New South Wales believe. But the New South Wales government clearly have other priorities, mostly self-serving, because the public hospitals in Singleton and Muswellbrook are in extremely poor condition. They are poorly maintained and extremely understaffed, and they have been neglected by a government that is out of touch. The quality of a state and its government is defined by its health system, but, if the state-run health system in my electorate of Hunter is anything to go by, the New South Wales state government, put kindly, is incompetent and, put simply, is a failure. The New South Wales government have failed my electorate of Hunter and the people in it at the time of greatest need. They should be able to rely on their local hospitals to give them the care they need. I'm standing next to a doctor right now who has been part of this and understands what the state government has done to doctors in our area. I take my hat off to you for what you've done in the past. Thank you.

The National Party of New South Wales have no right to use the slogan 'For the regions', when they have failed on what should be the single most important priority, which is health. When you fail on providing health care, you fail the people you claim to represent. We've heard the horror stories of those trying to access basic health care in countries abroad, like America, and, for most of us, this as a reminder of how lucky we are to have such high standards of health care in Australia that is accessible to all. The exception is those opposite, who believe the system in the US is better. But we have no right to boast about our health system here in Australia when people in regional areas are experiencing similar horror stories to those in the US. Maybe that's because there are some in the party opposite at both federal level and state level who fundamentally believe that a person's access to health care and the standard of care they receive should depend on the amount of money they have in the bank. There are some people with a warped philosophy who actually believe that the more money you earn the better health care you should be able to access. I know one thing: I wouldn't rely on these people to shout you a beer at the pub and I certainly wouldn't rely on them to run our precious health system in New South Wales.

The New South Wales government should hang its head in shame knowing that, because of them, parts of our country, which prides itself on our health system, are without a reason to be proud. Areas like Singleton and Muswellbrook have no such world-class health care accessible to them. It just doesn't cut it with me. I'm from the party that is built on the concept of being equal and having equal opportunities. The people in my electorate just want a fair go. The New South Wales Minister for Health and the state member for Upper Hunter must find some sort of morality in their pork-barrelling books and look after people who desperately need their hospitals to be properly funded, resourced, staffed and maintained. Regardless of where you live, , when you go to a local hospital in your time of greatest need, the hospital should be equipped to provide you with the care you need. Unfortunately, this is not the reality, and the state government and state members should be deeply, deeply ashamed. People in Singleton and Muswellbrook are almost better off going to Bunnings and buying their own first-aid kits than relying on their local hospitals. This is by no means a reflection on the staff of these hospitals. They all do incredible work and I thank every single one of them for the work that they do. They're amazing people working in the public health system in Hunter, but this is a reflection on the state government whose neglect is at such a level that it actually puts my constituents' health at risk.

I was lucky enough—or unfortunate enough—to go and have a look at the Singleton hospital. I was taken through there by the manager. It is, honestly, in dire need of an upgrade. Parts have been upgraded. Then there are parts of it that you wouldn't even put your dog in but, unfortunately, they're putting people in them who need to go there to get better. We need better standards than this in the New South Wales government— (Time expired)

Question agreed to.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 13:39

Pursuant to the determination of the Deputy Speaker, the Federation Chamber met again at 15:30.