Queensland budget curtain raiser to Tony Abbott’s job cuts
Health Minister Tanya Plibersek as commented the cuts to jobs and health services in Queensland.
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12 September 2012
Health Minister Tanya Plibersek today said the reckless cuts to jobs and health services in Queensland were a curtain raiser to Tony Abbott’s Australia.
This is what Campbell Newman said about Tony Abbott:
“He understands exactly what we're trying to achieve because I've taken him through it.”
Ms Plibersek said the Queensland budget papers reveal that 4,100 jobs in health are being axed by Mr Newman -- not the 2,700 we were told last Friday.
“You can’t cut 4,100 jobs and not affect frontline services,” said Ms Plibersek.
“Tony Abbott supports this. This is a curtain raiser for what he would do as Prime Minister.”
“Cutting public sector jobs is Mr Abbott’s only economic policy. The Coalition are on record saying 20,000 workers are set for the chopping block.”
“These aren’t just numbers in a budget paper. They are real people with real families.”
Ms Plibersek also pointed out what the Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey thinks of the Newman budget.
When asked three times on ABC News Radio today he failed to rule out Queensland-style job cuts.
And when asked about federal job cuts he said:
“. . . there is certainly room for savings.”
Ms Plibersek said she is concerned about the health of Queenslanders after these savage cuts.
“We know that Campbell Newman is cutting breast screen services, flu vaccines for health workers and tuberculosis clinics.”
“He’s cut the jobs of doctors, nurses, pathologists, physiotherapists – there are even reports that counsellors, who support grieving relatives identifying bodies at morgues, have been cut.”
“And now we have learned he will abandon mandatory fluoridation of drinking water in regional areas.”
Ms Plibersek said the World Health Organisation (WHO) points out that tooth decay is increasing across all income groups.
The WHO says: “The principal reasons for this increase are growing consumption of sugars and inadequate exposure to fluoride.”
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