House of Assembly Wednesday 7 August 2019
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Wednesday 7 August 2019 The Speaker, Ms Hickey, took the Chair at 10 a.m., acknowledged the Traditional People and read Prayers. QUESTIONS Ambulance Services - Government Support Ms WHITE question to PREMIER, Mr HODGMAN [10.02 a.m.] Tasmania's ambulance system has been stretched beyond its limits. Almost every day we are hearing stories of ambulances being stuck on the ramp of our major hospitals for hours on end leaving communities with little or no coverage. You have refused to provide any guarantee that your Government's $450 million budget cuts will not make the situation worse. On 25 July a very sick patient needed to be transferred from Queenstown to the LGH. This patient had to wait 90 minutes for an intensive care paramedic to come across from the north-west coast and then be transferred by road late at night to the LGH. For the paramedics accompanying this patient that was a six-hour round trip, late at night and under extremely high pressure circumstances. This left only one ambulance crew located at Zeehan to cover the entire west coast community from New Norfolk to Smithton. How can you ignore the persistent pleas from paramedics for more support? How can you justify budget cuts that paramedics are telling you will push the ambulance system to breaking point? ANSWER Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question and, again, for the member's benefit I confirm that our Government will not make cuts to essential services that impact on Tasmanians and important services, including in our health system. In fact, we are investing more into our health system. We have a strong track record for delivering more resources into our health system and to do all we can to boost our ambulance services and provide better access to care, including through those services. Mr O'Byrne - What about the radio? What about the call centre? Madam SPEAKER - Order, Mr O'Byrne. Mr HODGMAN - In fact over the last four and a half years we have employed new ambulance crews around Tasmania. We have seen response times improve as we have invested. I acknowledge the work of our paramedics and the fantastic job they do, and Ambulance Tasmania and its highly- skilled paramedics who provide an excellent medical response service around the state. Mr O'Byrne - The Auditor-General's report. Madam SPEAKER - Mr O'Byrne, warning number one. 1 7 August 2019 Mr HODGMAN - We have seen positive progress in a number of key areas. Patient care is always a top priority for our paramedics and the Tasmanian Health Service staff and our Government. We will continue to invest more, as we have done. We acknowledge the hard work they are doing and the real demand and the challenges that are being faced. We are attacking it head-on because this year's Budget delivers $438 million over the next four years for ambulance services. That is over $200 million more than in the 2013-14 budget. That is an 87 per cent increase into these services in just five years. I can advise the House that as at March of this year there were 92 more full-time paramedics and despatch officers at Ambulance Tasmania than five years ago. That is an increase of almost 30 per cent. With respect to the question about efficiencies and savings measures in the Budget, which we have clearly said will not impact on essential services, our track record is one of investing more. We can only do that when our budget is under control and, despite the claims or suggestions from Opposition members that it would not be possible for a government to make any efficiencies or be more productive in its services, we will keep our budget in good shape so that we are able to invest more into paramedics, into ambulance stations and into the ambulance fleet so that we can continue to see this important improvement in ambulance services. Ambulance Services - Government Support Ms WHITE question to PREMIER, Mr HODGMAN [10.06 a.m.] Last week paramedics in Launceston were reporting a horror 24 hours of ramping. On Thursday afternoon, all but one ambulance for the entire north of the state was stuck on the ramp at the Launceston General Hospital. This continued through the night and into Friday afternoon. This left just one ambulance available to respond to the entire population of Launceston and surrounding areas. We know this is not an uncommon event. Paramedics are also reporting that 10 per cent of all rostered hours in Launceston in July were spent on the ramp. Your $450 million budget cuts will make this situation worse. There is no way to deny that. How can you possibly justify compromising the safety of the community by cutting more from ambulance services? ANSWER Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question, which is the same question as the one she just asked. It does not deny the facts that I have outlined in my answer to that question and which I will do again because we recognise the increased demand for services. Mr O'Byrne - I do know you like the north-south stuff. Madam SPEAKER - Order please, Mr O'Byrne. Mr HODGMAN - We are responding in significant ways to address that right across the state. The $438 million in the budget over the next four years, $200 million more than was in the budget in 2013-14, an 87 per cent increase, 92 more paramedics and despatch officers at Ambulance Tasmania - Ms White - You are cutting $450 million. 2 7 August 2019 Madam SPEAKER - Order, Leader of the Opposition, warning number one. Mr HODGMAN - Then five years ago, an increase of 30 per cent. We have acknowledged clearly that the demand is growing. Ms Butler - You have done nothing for six years. Madam SPEAKER - Order, Ms Butler. Mr HODGMAN - Our population is growing. Demand for health services across the state is growing. We need to be able to address that. In order to do so we need our budget to remain in good shape. I have to say the dishonest claim of the Leader of the Opposition that we would make cuts to essential services, such as Ambulance Tasmania, is not founded. Ms Butler - You have done nothing in five years in ambulances. You know that. Madam SPEAKER - Order, Ms Butler, warning number one. Mr HODGMAN - We have clearly and explicitly said we would not affect essential services but by managing our finances responsibly we can deliver on our commitments, including our $125 million plan which will bring on 42 new paramedics in regional areas. Recruitment processes are underway: a supercharged aeromedical helicopter service that can provide a better access to health quicker and save lives, as the health professionals have told us. New ambulance stations for Glenorchy and Burnie will be built - Ms White - Tell that to the people of Queenstown. Madam SPEAKER - Order, Ms White, warning number two. Mr HODGMAN - by this Government, as well as regional and rural station upgrades. More staff in our operations centre, a further boost on top. More positions that we announced last year, a secondary triage, new training equipment and more support for volunteers. We recognise there are significant challenges facing our health system and that includes the ambulance and paramedic service. We understand that. We are responding. Mr O'Byrne - No you do not. Madam SPEAKER - Order, Mr O'Byrne. Mr HODGMAN - We are able to do so because our budget is in better shape than the one we inherited. We need to continue to manage our finances well so we can make these important investments and, most importantly, see more patients getting access to health care sooner. Auction of Nazi Memorabilia Ms O'CONNOR question to PREMIER, Mr HODGMAN [10.10 a.m.] In Launceston today, Nazi memorabilia including a Hitler Youth belt buckle and a SS ring will be sold at auction. We can only imagine what sort of buyer it will attract. As you know, the SS were 3 7 August 2019 the most extreme military unit of Hitler's Third Reich responsible for the murder of six million Jews. Nazi memorabilia listed for auction in Melbourne last October was withdrawn from sale by the auction house in response to a request from the Jewish community. Do you agree with Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission, that the items for sale were 'sickening', 'perverse' and symbolised 'humanity's darkest period'? As Dr Abramovich says, 'If you ignore something, you empower it'. Will you today, on behalf of all Tasmanians and in particular the Jewish community, condemn the auction of these items and, further, will you consider banning the sale of Nazi memorabilia? ANSWER Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader for the Greens for the question. It is a serious matter and of great importance to our community, especially those with Jewish heritage and those who would hope not to see this sort of thing occur, which I would strongly suggest is the vast majority of Tasmanians. I do not appreciate the sale of items such as these nor believe it would be welcomed by the Tasmanian community. While this particular organisation is not breaking any law, it clearly does break a community standard and it creates unnecessary distress and concern to our Jewish community and Tasmanians more broadly. I do not believe, as I think the member suggested on radio interview, that items such as these should be destroyed because there is a place for things like this including museums and other places that reflect on atrocities committed in the past.