The Hodgman Minority Government's health crisis has been on full display today - with paramedics unable to safely treat patients and Will Hodgman caught out lying about health investment.
Shadow Minister for Health Sarah Lovell said Sarah Courtney was nowhere to be seen.
"This week we've seen paramedics desperately cry for action from this cruel, lazy Government," Ms Lovell said.
"But instead of facing questions, Sarah Courtney has forced her Departmental Secretary and the failed former Health Minister Michael Ferguson to face questions on the State's ambulance crisis.
"Ambos, health professionals and the wider community are asking why Sarah Courtney is in hiding.
Ms Lovell also questioned how Will Hodgman could claim he had invested more than $100 million extra in the health system this year while he was making cuts.*
"Will Hodgman sat in Leon Compton's studio this morning and told Tasmanians he was spending $100 million more on health this year.
"His own budget says that they are only forecast to spend an extra $10.7 million on health in 2019-20**, and that's before he cut the health budget by $12 million as part of the $450 million cuts to frontline jobs and essential services.
"We know surgeries have been cut by 15 per cent. We know that nurse's shifts have been cut. We know that Ambulance Tasmania has copped more than $5 million of cuts that is hurting ambos and patients alike.
"Will Hodgman, Michael Ferguson and Sarah Courtney have broken our health system and things are only getting worse."
* "There's $100 million more this year for health." (Will Hodgman, ABC radio, 8 November 2019)
** Budget Paper 1, p187
Sarah Lovell MLC
Shadow Health Minister
