Qld: Health crisis set to dominate new parliamentary sitting

AAP General News (Australia)
02-13-2006
Qld: Health crisis set to dominate new parliamentary sitting

By Nikki Todd, State Political Correspondent

BRISBANE, Feb 13 AAP - The new parliamentary year in Queensland will start tomorrow
much as it ended last December, with health set to dominate.

The health crisis has continued to grab headlines over the summer break, with a severe
doctor shortage threatening the viability of several hospital emergency wards.

The crisis followed the ongoing Dr Death saga that dogged the Beattie government for
much of 2005, resulting in a cabinet reshuffle and plummeting approval ratings.

The ratings plunge prompted a threat by Premier Peter Beattie to quit as leader if
he does not turn the corner in health by the end of the year, placing the spotlight on
his anointed successor deputy premier Anna Bligh.

Opposition leader Lawrence Springborg said his team would use every opportunity in
parliament to push the government over its handling of Queensland Health.

"We have a problem right across Queensland in our health system," Mr Springborg said.

"It is not isolated to Caboolture, it is not isolated to Maryborough, it is not isolated
to Bundaberg."

Mr Springborg said the coalition would ask ministers "what they knew, when they knew
about it (and) why action wasn't taken earlier".

He will also test the government on how it planned to fix the health system while grilling
new Health Minister Stephen Robertson over his "incapacity to come to grips with the job".

The leadership question involving Ms Bligh and Mr Beattie will dominate coalition questioning
as well as the minds of Labor backbenchers, many of whom are uneasy over Labor's handling
of health.

In a further sign of nerves, Mr Beattie has reduced his media appearances in recent
weeks, failing to front his traditional post-cabinet press conference today.

Last week, he exited the conference early, leaving Mr Robertson to deliver bad news
on hospital waiting lists.

Today's no-show follows criticism of his language over the weekend, when he was caught
out swearing in a conversation with his NSW counterpart Morris Iemma.

Legislation to be introduced in parliament this week includes enhanced consumer rights
for elderly people living in retirement villages.

AAP nt/ch/it/sd

KEYWORD: PARLY QLD

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