Three more years of doing nothing
After three years of doing nothing for Veterans, Annastacia Palaszczuk has suddenly scrambled to come up with a Veterans policy on the eve of an election.
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And while she’s copied large parts of the policy the LNP released six months ago, she’s ignored the major request of defence welfare organisations – to create a Minister for Veterans here in Queensland.
The LNP believes that Queensland – like most other states – should have a Minister for Veterans to lead strategies that ensure State Government services are better targeted to ex-defence force personnel.
We have previously committed to public service veterans targets to increase the number of ex-ADF personnel working in the Queensland public service.
We’ve also committed to creating a $2 million Veterans Transition Grants Program, to help veterans transition back into civilian life.
The LNP will appoint a senior representative in the public service as a Veterans Champion to mentor others, and we’ll make the Queensland Veterans' Advisory Council a permanent fixture of the Queensland Government.
Our state is home to more veterans than any other, and they deserve more assistance and recognition than they have received under do-nothing Labor over the last three years.
The LNP will properly honour our veterans, and ensure they are well supported by a State Government committed to building a better Queensland by creating more jobs, building stronger families and providing liveable communities.
Tim Nicholls
Leader of the Opposition
Health care in remote communities
The Communities of Doomadgee and Mornington Island are in dire need of local dialysis treatment at their respective Hospitals.
Currently patients have to travel to Mount Isa and at times Townsville for treatment. This means having to leave their family and friends for long periods of time whilst they are receiving this treatment.
There are large costs associated with having to re-locate away from their community, including accommodation, travel to and from the hospital, and other out of pocket expenses, which can add more stress to the patient and their family.
What’s even more heartbreaking, these patients are dying alone.
Some patients have actually made the sad decision not to have life saving dialysis treatment, due to not wanting to leave their family and home.
The remote communities of Queensland are very important to the Palaszczuk Government. I have written to the Minister for Health, Cameron Dick in October and appealed to the Minister to consider making it a priority for these communities to have this treatment available locally.
This would enable the locals who are suffering and require the dialysis treatment to be able to remain in their local community, where they can receive the love, support and comfort from their family and friends.
Danielle Slade
Labor Candidate for Traeger
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