October 26, 2015
Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington has launched an official Parliamentary e-Petition calling on Health Minister Cameron Dick to commit funding to build a brand new Kingaroy Public Hospital.
The petition is open until February 12 next year, but once presented to Parliament, Mr Dick must provide a response within a month.
Mrs Frecklington said she was stunned by the recent comment by Mr Dick that Kingaroy had a “strong” public hospital.
“I agree that we have a ‘strong’ team of health professionals working at Kingaroy Hospital, but no one would ever use that word to describe the hospital facilities themselves,” she said.
“The comment shows Health Minister Dick is definitely out of touch with what’s really happening with Kingaroy’s main health facility.
“The Minister has never visited the Kingaroy Hospital and certainly doesn’t understand the desperate need for a brand new Public Hospital in Kingaroy.
“That’s why I’m calling on Health Minister Dick to personally visit the Kingaroy Public Hospital and see first-hand the extremely difficult conditions our Hospital staff work in every day.
“They do an exceptional job, given the lack of space and ageing facilities.
“Securing funding for a new hospital has been my number one priority since taking on my role as the Local Member.
“Over the past eight months, I’ve asked the Labor Government many times why the Kingaroy Hospital wasn’t on the priority list for replacement in this year’s State Budget, given our former LNP Government had identified it at the top of the priority list.
“We need a brand new public Hospital and we need a commitment now.”
Mrs Frecklington said the Parliamentary online petition would “demonstrate the level of need”.
The petition can be found at http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-assembly/petitions/e-petitions
- Related article: Petition Calls For New Hospital
- External link: Kingaroy Private Hospital Takeover Up To South Burnett
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Editorial footnote: Mrs Frecklington’s petition and the petition started recently by Rural Medical Centres Limited (Michael Brown) are very similar. The main point of difference is that a Minister is not compelled to respond to a Change.org petition whereas he must respond to a Parliamentary E-petition. Southburnett.com.au recommends that readers sign both if they support a new general hospital in Kingaroy.
