Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee) Share this | Hansard source

I see that some of the Labor senators from Tasmania are having difficulty comprehending. Why have they not lobbied their state colleagues to make sure that there is a cut in waiting times and waiting lists in Tasmania? We want to get a balanced approach. Will Hodgman is offering real change and Tasmanians will have an opportunity to decide, to vote, on 20 March to say, ‘Yes, we want to go forward under strong leadership, under the leadership of Will Hodgman, so there will be good health care, whether it be at the LGH or elsewhere.’

We know that the Premier put up a dud proposal to move the Royal Hobart Hospital next to a working wharf in Hobart. Can you imagine: they wasted thousands and millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money on consultants, reports and reviews by the health department and others and they wanted to put the Royal Hobart Hospital into a working port? How absurd. What sort of vision is that? You have to redevelop the Royal Hobart Hospital proposal so that it delivers good health care to the people of southern Tasmania. They know what is best for them. We want them to decide on 20 March whether they will seek and want real change under a Will Hodgman Liberal government.

Debate interrupted.