Ambulance Tasmania staff have been told to brace themselves for $5.7 million in cuts as part of Will Hodgman's cruel $450 million slash and burn agenda.
This is just one issue being discussed at Labor's roundtable with local health stakeholders in Launceston today, and despite invitations to Sarah Courtney and Jeremy Rockliff, no one from the Government decided to show up.
Labor Leader Rebecca White said that Will Hodgman was putting lives at risk just to pay for his Government's poor financial management.
"Will Hodgman's cuts to Tasmania's ambulance services are an absolute disgrace," Ms White said.
"A 5.7 million cut is equivalent to sacking 37 full time paramedics, at a time Tasmanians cannot cope with more cuts.
"In the last week we have had the fire service put on standby to respond to health emergency calls, and on Sunday night, five communities had no local ambulance to call on because the Liberals failure to invest in health.
"We constantly hear stories of people in desperate need of care driving themselves or their families to hospital because ambos are stretched so thin.
"This is an insult to our hardworking paramedics and volunteer ambulance officers who are desperate to be out there doing their jobs but are stuck on hospital ramps or are travelling to the other end of the state to cover another area.
"This is not good enough. Will Hodgman's cuts are going to cost people's lives.
"He must come out today and reverse these cruel cuts and apologise to ambos and people already affected by his chaotic, weak Government."
Rebecca White MP
Labor Leader
