 Home Media Resources Time Up for Patterson - August 21, 2003
Time Up for Patterson - August 21, 2003
The Health Services Union has called for Kay Patterson to resign or be sacked after her dismal performance in the health portfolio.
HSU national secretary Craig Thomson told the ACTU Congress today that Senator Patterson handling of Medicare was the final straw in her brief but disastrous time in health.
"It is regrettable that there has been such a huge collective loss of faith in Senator Patterson from across consumer, medical and union groups,'' he said.
"But with the ever-increasing pressure on public hospitals, bulk-billing still in free-fall, healthcare agreements up for negotiation and aged care in crisis we cannot afford to have Senator Patterson in the health portfolio.
"Appointing someone to the challenging portfolio with no ministerial experience was always going to be a gamble for the prime minister but he has to face up to the fact the gamble has failed.
"Members of the union are outraged by her proposed changes to Medicare and by her ridiculous denials that emergency departments are getting busier because of the restriction on services and rising cost of seeing a GP. Refusing to negotiate with the states over new five year funding agreements means there is no point having Senator Patterson in the job anyway.''
Unions attending the ACTU Congress today adopted a new health policy which commits them to opposing changes to Medicare which reduce access to healthcare, working towards the abolition of the 30 per cent private health insurance rebate, campaigning for increased funding for public hospitals, opposing further privatisation or contracting out of public health services and pushing for reasonable workloads for staff.
"The Australian people can take heart from the fact the union movement is fully committed to getting extra funding into health and aged care and ensuring the affordability of health services,'' Mr Thomson said.
Contact Details
Health Services Union
Ph: 03 93413328
Fax: 0393413329
markr@hsua.asn.au
http://www.hsu.net.au
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