Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tonight I want to comment on the Tasmanian Labor government’s administration and specifically to say that, in my view, it is a frightening dress rehearsal of how a Rudd Labor government would operate if it wins this year’s election. The Tasmanian Labor government is embarking on a 10-year nearly $1 billion replacement of the Royal Hobart Hospital, which may or may not be a grandiose waste of money, while it wants to close down two very small hospitals by comparison at Ouse and Rosebery, despite their isolation. It has also recently announced a $5 million upgrade for the George Town Hospital redevelopment. In May the state Labor government announced as part of their primary health plan for Tasmania the closure from 20 September this year of sub-acute beds at the Rosebery District Hospital. Few other details were announced. The state government also announced that the hospital at Ouse would close with in-patient and aged care beds being shifted to New Norfolk, leaving the former hospital and aged care home with respite beds, a day centre, on-call facilities and a room for GP visits. The aged care beds are being removed at Ouse by truck and the rooms locked. The first bed was removed on 9 July—separating residents from their families.

I want to put on the record the Tasmanian budget figures which makes it clear that Rosebery District Hospital has a deficit of some $241,786 or just 17.14 per cent of the latest budget. Compare that with the St Helens Hospital where the deficit is 28 per cent of this financial year’s budget or with the Flinders Island multi-purpose centre which has a cost overrun of almost 43 per cent. Yet in Rosebery we have a company, whose name is Zinifex, employing many hundreds of Tasmanians that pays approximately $18 million in payroll tax and royalties to the state government. Yet the government cannot find $240,000-odd to allow the hospital at Rosebery to continue. Likewise, what are the facts with respect to the Ouse District Hospital? The Ouse hospital rates as the second-best performing district hospital and aged care facility in Tasmania with a deficit this last financial year of $106,766 or just 7.12 per cent of the 2007-08 budget. The truth is that the Rosebery and Ouse hospitals provide vital health services for their region and do not do too badly economically. But this state government is treating them with disrespect and an arrogance the like of which has not been seen before. People in remote communities do not deserve to be treated like last frontier pioneer settlers. This is the 21st century, and their taxes should have the same currency as the taxes paid by the residents of Hobart.

So, who is next on the state government hit list? While the state Minister for Health may deny any plans for further regional hospital rationalisation, it is apparent that there will be future cuts and closures, given that Ouse and Rosebery are among the top performing regional hospitals in Tasmania. Who will be next? I recently went with the Tasmanian Liberal Senate team from Sorell down to the Tasman Peninsula where I visited the Tasman Multi-Purpose Health Centre, and then later in the day I visited, with Ben Quin, the federal Liberal candidate for the Lyons electorate, the multipurpose health centre at Oatlands. I have also received anonymous calls from the Beaconsfield multipurpose centre expressing extreme concern about the fears they have with regard to future funding from the state government. Will it be the Flinders Island, King Island, Deloraine, St Helens, Beaconsfield or the Midlands multipurpose centre? Will it be New Norfolk, Campbell Town, Smithton or even St Marys? All of those have reason to be concerned. I know that the people at Oatlands and some of these other district hospitals are scared witless because they do not know who is next under the state Labor government’s administration of health services in our state of Tasmania.

Is all this necessary, especially given the $45 million a year windfall the state will enjoy after the Prime Minister’s announcement of the Mersey hospital intervention at Latrobe near Devonport? Freed-up state health funds should be diverted to keeping Ouse and Rosebery hospitals fully functional. That should be a priority. What about the angst and trauma among the elderly residents and their families specifically at Ouse? It is so unnecessary. I attended a rally firstly at Rosebery on 19 July together with the federal Liberal candidate for Lyons, Ben Quin, and the state Lyons MP, Rene Hidding, the former leader. That rally at Rosebery was well attended with over 200 people rallying to the cause to say, ‘Save our hospital.’ Workers from the Zinifex mine came out to join the rally and say, ‘We are with you.’ In fact, we had hard-core unionists at that Rosebery rally who said that Labor was dead politically on the west coast of Tasmania if state Labor downgraded the hospital.

George Campbell (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator George Campbell interjecting—

Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The clock is ticking because on 20 September that hospital will be downgraded—Senator George Campbell, make no mistake about that. Let us look at what happened at the Ouse public rally on 31 July that I again attended with Ben Quin, the federal Liberal candidate for the Lyons electorate, who is standing up for these isolated communities. Where is federal Labor; where is state Labor? They have a contrary view, a contrary objective.

At that meeting was the Tasmanian opposition leader, Will Hodgman, the state opposition health spokesman, Brett Whiteley, and the opposition legal spokesman, Michael Hodgman—no Labor MP, state or federal, to be seen. They did not have the guts to come and face the community and say, ‘Yes. We want to downgrade your health services right here.’ I did a letterbox drop to support those efforts at Ouse and Rosebery, and they were both supported by Ben Quin, the federal Liberal candidate. Who did we meet at Ouse? Who came to this public meeting? We had Mrs Weeding; she is 94 years old. She is a resident of the Ouse aged-care facilities. She has been married for 75 years. She was born and bred in that community and now she is being kicked out with her husband from that aged-care facility in Ouse. It stinks. It is shameful.

Chris Ellison (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ellison interjecting—

Rod Kemp (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Kemp interjecting—

Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is right, Senator Ellison and Senator Kemp. It is a shameful display. It is a shameful disrespect to these people who have been married for 75 years. I met Mrs Weeding and looked her in the eye. She has got guts and determination, but she was very remorseful at the decisions of the state Labor government; it is very sad indeed. Mrs Bannister was also there from the aged-care facility at Ouse to show support and camaraderie for the local people. A busload of people drove down from Rosebery to support this event. The mayor of the west coast drove down through the fog, snow and ice to support the people of Ouse. Rosebery and Ouse have shown camaraderie. These communities have rallied and have joined together to say, ‘We will fight this state Labor government decision.’ I congratulate Will Hodgman for standing up that night. At that Ouse meeting he publicly confirmed that the state Liberal government in the future will restore funding and services for those two hospitals, and this was received with acclaim by the audience.

There is plenty of money in the state budget coffers for these health facilities. They have got an extra $220 million over the last five years to run their hospitals. They have got rivers of GST gold flowing into Tasmania. It comes in thick and fast, with this year $80 million extra in windfall gains and $100 million on average into the future. There is money, but what is the priority? Who is next?

I want to pay a tribute in particular to the Ouse committee: Ann Jones, Charlotte Pitt, Sue Booth, Tash Farrow, Andrew Downie, Michael Ball, mayor Deidre Flint, Ross Mace, Tracey Turale, Colleen Smith and Dr Swarz. In Rosebery are: Paul O’ Brien—a fantastic effort, Paul; Richard Spurr—thank you; Margaret and Ivan Compton, Margaret Smith, Beverly Moyle, Geoffrey Eastwood—thank you, Geoffrey, for your work and feedback, and we are sorry about the way your mother has been treated so disgracefully by this state government in her concerns at the Rosebery hospital; Anne Drake; Cris Winskall; Kerry Hay; and Chris Cannell; and there are many others. They have shown complete support for their local communities and dismay at this state government’s actions. West coast mayor Darryl Gerrity, thank you for leadership. You have displayed great determination to stop the brazen arrogance and the dereliction of duty of this state Labor government. (Time expired)