Teresa Gambaro (Brisbane, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship and Settlement) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Following media questioning about me and the future closure of the Royal Children's Hospital in my Brisbane electorate, Premier Bligh claimed that funding for public hospitals had decreased under the federal coalition government. This is blatantly false. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian government expenditure on public hospitals increased from $5.2 billion in 1995-96 to over $11 billion in 2006-07, and in 1995-96 annual spending on health and ageing by the Australian government more than doubled from $19.5 billion in 1995-96 to $51.8 billion in 2007. The AMA Public Hospital Report Card 2011 reports the number of available hospital beds of 2.4 per 1,000 Queenslanders remains unchanged from 2008-09, which is well below the national average of 2.6. It is some 900 beds short.

What has the Queensland Labor government been doing with all its funds? Mismanaging is the answer, including with a calamitous health payroll that is wasting hundreds of millions of dollars. Ms Bligh, you should hang your head in shame. The disastrous closure of the Royal Children's Hospital will occur under a plan to build an inadequate hospital in the Premier's own electorate. For the past two years I have supported Dr Harry Smith and his tireless campaign on behalf of the families in Brisbane's northern suburbs who will be negatively impacted by this decision. When an LNP government forms, they can be ready to remedy the ills of the Queensland health and hospital system. Clearly it is time for change.