Felix Ellis,Liberal Member for Braddon
North West Coasters are sick of Labor's David O'Byrne talking down our economy and talking down our hospitals.
Labor tried to shut the Mersey and they remain ideologically committed to taking health services away from regional areas.
His suggestions about funding for the Mersey Community Hospital are complete rubbish.
The Government is committed to boosting services for the North West.
This is why we saved the Mersey and are investing in a $37.4 million redevelopment that is underway at the Mersey Community Hospital, and we have opened new beds and are investing in new services across the North West.
The Mersey is a very important component of the delivery of health services in the North West, and the Government rejects any suggestion it should be shut.
Labor's backroom health shadow, Dr Seidel, is even on record saying the Mersey was only built "due to political pork barrelling and parochialism", and that "closing hospitals has little impact on patient outcomes".
Then in Federal Parliament last month, Labor Member Julie Collins seconded Andrew Wilkie's motion where he called for closing the Mersey.
The Liberal Government passed legislation to protect the $730 million funding for the Mersey in 2017 and will continue to support it.
The Government has been very clear that when the fund comes to an end, which is not until 2026-27, provision for replacement funding will be made in the State Budget to ensure that there is no impact on the Mersey's operations and services, and it will effectively represent less than a 1 per cent call on the Budget.
Mr O'Byrne should be ashamed of himself for yet again blatantly scaremongering the Tasmanian community with no substance.
This is just another example of the Labor Party that has no ideas and no vision, throwing rocks from the sidelines whilst the Government gets on with the job of rebuilding our State.
Labor has an appalling track record on health services in the North West and must stop their irresponsible campaign and commit to support the Mersey.
