WARRINGAH DEBATE
us how big our cattle herd can be because cattle are a major emissions contributor?” he said.
“I don’t want to contract out environment policy to a bunch of unelected bureaucrats.”
Ms Steggall hit back at Mr Abbott, saying the major parties had “hidden agendas” and were beholden to lobbyists.
“I would suggest that is because it would take it out of the control of the hidden agenda of the major parties and the coal lobby,” she said. “That is what you fear.” However, Ms Steggall said she was prepared to help the Coalition form government in the case of a hung parliament, but only if it strengthened climate policies.
Mr Abbott said it was important that the economic cost of carbon emission reduction policies be revealed. HEALTH has blown up into a key federal election issue on the Gold Coast, with Labor and the LNP fighting about funding commitments and scare campaigns.
Federal McPherson MP Karen Andrews has challenged Labor to “put up or shut up” on funding claims about Robina Hospital, accusing it of a “disgracefully dishonest scare campaign”.
But Labor has defended its record at state level, with heated claims and counterclaims exchanged in the Queensland Parliament and Labor’s Gaven MP Meaghan Scanlon accusing the LNP of undermining frontline medical staff.
Ms Andrews said federal funding for Gold Coast hospitals had more than doubled under the LNP, up 111 per cent from when Labor was last in government to a record $403 million, and would reach $629 million by 2024.
She said a Labor Party website was claiming $3.8 million had been cut from Robina Hospital, citing the Budget Paper No.2 source of information.
“There are no cuts to Robina Hospital in that document. There’s not even a mention of Robina Hospital. It shows substantially increased annual funding for public hospitals under a new funding agreement,” she said.
Queensland LNP Opposition health spokesman Ros Bates backed Ms Andrews, saying the statistics at Robina Hospital under the Palaszczuk State Labor Government “speak for themselves”. 2016-17 as the
“Forty-one per cent of patients aren’t seen on time, ramping is a shocking 36 per cent and the median elective surgery wait time has increased by 55 per cent since Annastacia Palaszczuk became premier,” Ms Bates said.
Ms Bates put up a no-confidence motion in Health Minister Dr Steven Miles in State Parliament, which was lost 45-37 on party numbers but sparked a fiery debate.
The motion noted the health system was facing an unprecedented overcrowding crisis and Labor’s rapid offload