The Chronicle

Dick slams ‘lazy’ LNP plan

- Tom Gillespie tom.gillespie@thechronic­le.com.au

HEALTH Minister Cameron Dick has seized upon his opposite John-Paul Langbroek’s disastrous funding announceme­nt on the Toowoomba Hospital during a last-minute trip to the region.

Standing outside the hospital on Pechey St yesterday, Mr Dick slammed the LNP’s $1.5 million “lazy thought bubble” proposal for a hospitals planning committee to be set up to decide where a new facility should go.

Mr Langbroek’s press conference on Thursday came unstuck when he appeared to not understand what was already funded in the latest budget for Toowoomba Hospital, or how the “independen­t commission” would work in with it.

While Mr Dick was officially visiting Toowoomba to inspect the work on a $3 million upgrade to the hospital’s emergency department, he couldn’t resist the opportunit­y to target Mr Langbroek.

“The announceme­nt made yesterday wasn’t so much an announceme­nt as a complete embarrassm­ent,” he said.

“It wasn’t a plan for the future of healthcare, it was a lazy thought bubble.

“I don’t know what Mr Langbroek’s plan is about, certainly the people of Toowoomba don’t know what his plan is about, and it appears to me that Mr Langbroek has no idea what his plan is about.”

Labor’s $3 million funding in the latest budget will build two business cases for the new location of Toowoomba Hospital, with the favourites being the

It wasn’t so much an announceme­nt as a complete embarrassm­ent.

— Cameron Dick

current site or out at Baillie Henderson. Mr Dick is the highest-profile politician to visit the region since the campaign was launched.

 ?? PHOTO: NEV MADSEN ?? CHECK UP: ALP candidate for Toowoomba North Kerry Shine and Health Minister Cameron Dick at the Toowoomba Hospital.
PHOTO: NEV MADSEN CHECK UP: ALP candidate for Toowoomba North Kerry Shine and Health Minister Cameron Dick at the Toowoomba Hospital.

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