Little action blasted

BOTH sides of state politics have been fired a missile over their underwhelming commitments to the Cairns University Hospital.

Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch has demanded Labor and the LNP act swiftly in committing the full $165m-plus needed to build it.

“I think both sides can do a hell of a lot better than just a $1.5m study,” Mr Entsch said.

A FIRECRACKER has been lit under both sides of state politics over their underwhelming and unacceptable commitments to the Cairns University Hospital.

Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch has demanded both Queensland Labor and the LNP pull the proverbial finger out and commit the full $165million-plus needed to build the critical piece of health infrastructure.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison committed $60m towards the project in January last year. In the 20 months since, only Labor has made a pledge of $1.5m for a preliminary business case.

That leaves a $163.5m shortfall, plus whatever extra funds are needed to buy land for the project near the existing Cairns Hospital.

“Here we are sitting back five minutes before an election and neither of them have really done anything at all,” Mr Entsch said.

“I think that is very, very disappointing.

“It is one of the most important initiatives we have.

“The Federal Government, we’ve delivered what we were asked to do.

“I think both sides (of

Queensland politics) can do a hell of a lot better than just a $1.5m study.

“In my view, that’s just an excuse to do nothing.”

Mr Entsch warned the study could be used as a getout-of-jail-free card to allow the government to deem the project financially unviable and wash its hands entirely.

“The only thing stopping them at the moment is their will to commit,” he said.

“We’ve proven that there is an absolute need for it.

“It’s all very well to say we’ll drip feed it with a million bucks for a study, but that doesn’t really do anything at all unless they commit hard cash to make construction happen.”

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said there was “plenty more to come” when asked last month if further funding would be committed to the project.