Newly minted Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff must tell Tasmanians who will fund the much-touted $580 million redevelopment of the Launceston General Hospital and how he will staff additional health services.
Acting Labor Leader Anita Dow said while today's release of the LGH masterplan was welcome as Tasmania's health crisis continues to escalate, without a definitive answer on funding and future staffing, it amounted to little more than pretty pictures.
"Tasmanians who badly need new health services will be looking forward to Mr Rockliff and Premier Gutwein releasing comprehensive detail of how it will be funded," Ms Dow said.
"That's critical considering the Liberals were clear during the election campaign that this redevelopment - their signature health infrastructure commitment - would be dependent on funding from the Commonwealth.
"But in the recent Federal Budget there was not a cent allocated by the Morrison Government.
"There are also serious concerns about how the Gutwein Government intends to staff the proposed redevelopment, considering the reality is that right now it is struggling to adequately staff the existing LGH.
"Mr Rockliff must release a clear plan on how he intends to not only attract staff but retain staff and how those staff will be funded into the future - not cut as Tasmanians have seen under the two previous failed Health Ministers.
"Without that detail, this major commitment is nothing more than that - an announcement without any true substance."
Anita Dow MP
Acting Labor Leader
