Media Statements

After five months of denying the Federal Labor Government had slashed funding to Queensland Health by $103 million this year, the Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) has finally acknowledged the cut in its official submission to a special Senate Inquiry.

Queensland Health Minister Lawrence Springborg revealed the QNU’s admission in State Parliament this morning but also condemned union bosses for keeping their admission quiet from their own rank and file members.

Buried amongst the 22 page submission is the Queensland Nurses Union’s admission that:

 “In Queensland, the adjustment has meant the state will receive around $103 million less than projected in the 2012-2013 budget”.

 Mr Springborg said it was telling that the QNU had made no effort to inform its own rank and file members of the Federal Labor Government’s cut.

 “Once again union bosses were more interested in the job security of Labor politicians than they were in the job security of their own rank and file members,” Mr Springborg said.

 “The unions’ submission, which admits to the federal cut, does not appear on the union’s website.

 “There isn’t any media release drawing anyone’s attention to the union’s belated admission that $103 million has been ripped out of Queensland’s Health budget in 2012/13 by the Gillard Government.”

 Mr Springborg said union bosses themselves would have to share some responsibility for the job and service losses that occurred as a result of the Gillard Government’s cuts.

 “For five months the Newman Government has been fighting this cut but the union refused to help fight it. Instead they helped Labor deny it,” Mr Springborg said.

 “Instead of denying the cuts and instead of organising standing ovations for Wayne Swan who directed the cuts be made, if union bosses had worked with the LNP we may have been able to stop them and we may have been able to save more jobs.”

[ENDS] 5 March 2013

Media contact: Clare Mildren 0417 255 284