Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

I do withdraw it. I might move to the hypocrisy of the HSU in regard to the Gillard government's $1.6 billion hospital cuts. Here we have federal Labor and the Gillard government cutting $1.6 billion in hospital funding, which is causing closures of hospital beds, the shutdown of operating theatres and the reduction in capacity of emergency departments. And the Health Services Union—surprise, surprise—remains silent on this point. It can only be such a hypocritical move. Instead of running a campaign against the New South Wales government, including stop-work protests about possible privatisation of one hydrotherapy pool, perhaps they could address their minds to looking after their workers in the health sector and complaining about this government's cuts of $1.6 billion.

We know the history of the Health Services Union, particularly when one looks at Mr Thomson's and Mr Williamson's activities in relation to that union. So one would have thought that, having been so criticised in this place and in the other place and generally through the media for their conduct in relation to dues of their aged care workers and health workers, that in this situation, given what was happening in their own area, they would have got off their backsides and actually done something constructive in relation to what is going on in the health sector by this government. But no, instead of fighting these reckless retrospective cuts which are having such an impact in the health sector and which of course are affecting its members, the HSU is engaging in phoney political battles in an election year in New South Wales. I say to the Health Services Union: after all your antics, it is about time you actually return to work and do something constructive for your members.

Question agreed to.