Abbott is Wrong for Health Portfolio: Poll

The Health Services Union will today release a poll that shows public dissatisfaction with the performance of Health Minister Tony Abbott is so high than only one third of people believe he should keep his job.

Abbott not the right man for the job

In a Newspoll survey, conducted exclusively for the union last weekend, 1200 people across Australia were asked their opinion of the performance of Mr Abbott.

A total of 45 per cent of people said Mr Abbott was wrong for the job and should be sacked. Only 34 per cent said he was the right person for the job and should stay. 21 per cent of people said neither/don't know.

The highest level of opposition to Mr Abbott keeping his job was among people aged 50 and over with half saying he was wrong for the job and should be sacked.

HSU national secretary Craig Thomson will release the poll results at the HSU's National Conference in Sydney today.

He said it was clear Mr Abbott's ham-fisted handling of the health portfolio, including the bungled sale of Medibank Private, threats to take over public hospitals and his hysterical claims in the stem cell research debate had angered the public.

"This is a major vote of no-confidence in Tony Abbott and how he has handled the most critical portfolio in federal government," he said.

"The result would have been worse if the poll was done after Mr Abbott's latest claims about privatising the management of state hospitals.

"Our members and the general public want someone in the health portfolio prepared to work with the states to improve the availability and quality of health and aged care services not to try and win an ideological war.

"Mr Abbott is actively trying to make the health system worse by selling off Medibank Private and now calling for the privatisation of public hospital management. There is absolutely no evidence private sector management of hospitals has worked in Australia and in fact it has been a complete failure in NSW and Victoria.

"Our members are not prepared to stand by and watch Mr Abbott privatise our public hospitals. It is clear from this poll that with only 34 per cent of people thinking he should stay in the health portfolio a substantial number of Liberal voters must also believe he should be sacked."

FURTHER INFORMATION: Kate Rielley 0414 873625

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Last Modified: Wednesday, 20-Sep-2006 11:05:26 EST