D’Ath, Tate’s RATs nest
A WAR of words has erupted between the state’s Health Minister Yvette D’Ath and Tom Tate over RAT tests, with the Gold Coast Mayor calling her comments “inaccurate and offensive”.
Ms D’Ath has been unimpressed by his plan to buy rapid antigen tests from South Korea for the Gold Coast.
Cr Tate last week pitched the idea to solve the nation’s shortage of RATs by obtaining a cache of available ones via a charter plane and bringing them to Australia, to be distributed at council halls or even through rates notices.
Cr Tate said he wanted to be reimbursed by the Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk for the effort.
But Ms D’Ath said on Tuesday there would be no government money for Cr Tate.
“If Tom Tate has got access to a ready supply he can pick up the phone and we will have the conversation but I’m not just handing money over to Tom Tate,” she said.
“We will hand money over to suppliers but I am not going to just hand over money to Tom Tate to provide them for us.”
Ms D’Ath also questioned whether the tests were approved for use by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
The lack of available RATs has become a critical issue in recent weeks.
A furious Cr Tate hit back at Ms D’Ath, saying: “I’m not asking the state (government) to pay me, or council, in any way to secure RAT tests for our city.
“Firstly, that would be illegal and secondly, it is offensive to even suggest that.
“All I have done is make a public offer to the state government to assist in this crisis. I am simply trying to help.
“After all, it is a crisis. As we all know there are thousands of businesses that have staff away from their jobs, urgently awaiting testing.
“Productivity has dived in thousands of Queensland business and that costs us all through lost wages and poor morale.”
Cr Tate said he “accepted” Ms D’Ath was under “enormous pressure” but implored her to not “target me in such an aggressive manner”.
Cr Tate said he insisted his offer was “genuine” and was willing to engage his contacts in southeast Asia to secure more RATs.
“Large manufacturers have made the offer direct to me, given my contacts established through a decade of international advocacy. The position of mayor is a title held in high regard in Asia and that is why I have received direct contact from various officials.
“The City has excellent and long-established direct relationships with major Chinese cities like Chengdu and Wuhan and I have close personal contacts in those cities and the majority of supply is coming out of China and other Asian countries like South Korea,” he said.
“I urge the State to keep the politics out of this crisis and simply get these RATs here now. If they want the contacts for these large suppliers, I await their phone call.”