Liberal National Party have learned nothing
The Shadow Health Minister’s letter to the editor (North West Star, October 4) demonstrates that the LNP have learned nothing from their time in Opposition.
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Only someone who was a Minister when the Newman Government sacked 1800 nurses could make the claim that “more nurses equals fewer health services”.
As Health Minister in the Palaszczuk Government, I hold a different view.
As part of our record $15 billion annual investment in health, we have returned 1940 nurses to the frontline in our hospitals last financial year, following the LNP’s savage cuts to this workforce.
Claims from the Shadow Health Minister that Queenslanders are “heading back’” towards experiencing longer waiting times are simply wrong.
Since our government came to office, we have driven down the number of Queenslanders waiting longer than clinically recommended for their first specialist outpatient appointment from 100,000 to just over 58,000, as at 30 June.
As Health Minister, I am proud to have delivered record budget allocations to the Health portfolio which has seen health spending increased by $1.65 billion, or 12.1 per cent.
When we were elected, we promised to rebuild the health system decimated by the Newman Government.
It’s obvious from the Shadow Health Minister’s letter that job cuts in the health system are still on the LNP’s agenda.
Cameron Dick
Minister for Health and Minister for Ambulance Service
Education funding discussion has lost focus
The discussion around appropriate levels of funding for Australian schools is one of the most important issues we must consider for our nation’s future.
It is disappointing, therefore, to see the discussion lose focus on the needs and well-being of students and instead take on an adversarial and occasionally sectarian tenor.
Commentators intent on grabbing a headline do a great disservice to the young people whose education is the responsibility of our whole community.
The Catholic sector in Queensland educates almost 147,000 students in 300 hundred schools.
They are students from all socioeconomic backgrounds, from all cultural and linguistic backgrounds and they come from communities right around the state from the Gold Coast to Thursday Island and west to Mount Isa and Quilpie.
On average Catholic schools in Queensland in 2016 received, from all governments, 83 per cent of the funding per student that state schools received.
The Catholic sector remains committed to working with governments and parents towards the evolution of a needs-based funding system that is simple, fair and transparent.
By all means let’s have a discussion about how to make that happen but let’s have it in a way that puts the educational needs of our children and their future at the centre of the debate.
Dr Lee-Anne Perry AM
Executive Director
Queensland Catholic Education Commission
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This week congratulations were in order to the Cloncurry Eagles for winning the NRL’s Queensland grassroots club of the year for 2016.
Sharon Warner-Murphy Congrats to Cicely Baira & your awesome club
Charles Potini Congratulations the Curry
Albert Brian Anderson Great work guys
Jorge Koraba Well done Jimmy and the Eagles club
Lizzie Woods How good!!
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
