Media Release
The federal leader of the Palmer United Party and Member for Fairfax, Clive Palmer, said the Queensland Government’s decision to close the Royal Children’s Hospital in Brisbane was the most disgraceful decision it had ever made.
Mr Palmer said the move, which has been opposed by eight past and present Australian Medical Association Queensland presidents, undervalued the key role the hospital had played in saving children’s lives.
“This decision just ignores all the premature babies that have been saved there over the years right up to the current day,” Mr Palmer said.
“My son Michael was born there at 26 weeks and staff there did a wonderful job to save his life.”
Mr Palmer said Premier Campbell Newman seemed determined to penalise the most vulnerable in the community in his mad drive to slash spending.
“Why is Newman so intent on punishing the people of Queensland,” Mr Palmer said.
“Things are getting really low when the government of Queensland attacks the children of the state and takes away their services.”
Mr Palmer said that Mr Newman and Health Minister Lawrence Springborg were harming Queenslanders with every day they spent in office.
“Campbell Newman is an absolute disgrace as Premier,” Mr Palmer said.
“The Royal Children’s hospital was and should be the number one hospital available for births in Queensland but Newman wouldn’t know about that because he’s from Tasmania.”
“As for Health Minister Lawrence Springborg, he should resign over closing the Royal Brisbane Women’s and Children’s hospital, a hospital that has been available to the people of Queensland for many years.”
ENDS