Bundaberg has been betrayed by the newly elected local MP Tom Smith, who has broken one of his first major election commitments by denying the community their promised Level 5 Hospital.
In a disturbing backflip, Queensland’s Health Minister has confirmed the Palaszczuk Labor Government would no longer be referring to the proposed new Bundaberg hospital as ‘Level 5’.
Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett said the term ‘Level 5’ service was critical to provide high complex patient care and procedures, as well as having strong university affiliations and major teaching and research capabilities.
“The people of Bundaberg were promised a state-of-the-art Level 5 public hospital with teaching components which would be a huge benefit in attracting doctors to the region and to stay on long-term, but now it’s crystal clear that we won’t be getting that particular hospital,” Mr Bennett said.
“Time and time again we heard Tom Smith and his Labor Government say that a new Level 5 hospital would be built in Bundaberg to deliver the best public health services to our community to meet our growing needs now and into the future, and we were all led to believe we would receive that high level of care through the construction of a Level 5 hospital.
“And what’s worse, we have discovered the true deceitful nature of the Bundaberg Labor MP, who has removed all references from Facebook which clearly promised that his government would build Bundaberg a Level 5 hospital.
“Tom Smith is an outright liar. He made a commitment, he was elected on that commitment, but he broke that commitment as soon he was elected.”
The proof of the deceit was highlighted in the Health Minister’s response to Mr Bennett’s Question on Notice, which the local MP says is condescending towards the people of Bundaberg.
“For the Minister to say the government won’t be referring to the hospital as a Level 5 because they want to provide clearer explanations in plain English, and that people are confusing the reference to mean the proposed hospital would be a five-story building is damn right offensive,” he said.
“The people of Bundaberg aren’t fools, like Tom Smith and his city-centric Labor mates believe.”
ENDS.