Media release – Sarah Lovell MLC, Labor Campaign Spokesperson, 29 April 2021
Ambulance Tasmania ads a clear breach of caretaker conventions
The Liberal Party are trying to spin their way out of Tasmania’s health crisis, with Ambulance Tasmania advertisements being pushed out on television and social media in the last week of the campaign, in a clear breach of caretaker conventions.
In a shocking affront to the thousands of sick Tasmanians who have had to wait hours for an Ambulance, rather than investing taxpayer funding to improve out-of-control ramping at our hospitals, the Government is spending your money to promote themselves.
The advertisements, which were produced in February, have began reappearing on television, social media and Youtube this week, clearly in response to public outcry over the Liberal Party’s mismanagement of the health system.
This comes just hours after reports Peter Gutwein’s chief bureaucrat told public servants any propaganda in government departments needed to be removed.
Labor Campaign Spokesperson Sarah Lovell said the paid advertisements were a clear misuse of taxpayer funds.
“It is clear that the desperate Liberal Party will do anything to get re-elected,” Ms Lovell said.
“These ads are attempting to deceive the public from the dire situation which our health system is in right now, but I know that Tasmanians are not fooled this easily.
“The Liberal Party has an ingrained sense of entitlement in which they think they are entitled to spend your money for their own personal gain.
“We saw it with their misuse of electorate allowances for political material and we are seeing it again here.
“These advertisements should stop immediately, and an investigation should be launched into who directed these ads to reappear and why they were approved.
“Shadow Attorney-General Ella Haddad has written to the head of the Department of Premier and Cabinet Jenny Gale seeking urgent intervention in this matter.
“Sarah Courtney, who has been hiding from scrutiny all campaign, needs to front the media and explain why she is getting spin doctors to deceive Tasmanians rather than real doctors to heal Tasmanians.”
Ms Lovell said people were dying waiting for asmbulances under this callous Liberal Government.
“The Liberal Party cut $1.6 billion from the health budget over the past seven years,” Ms Lovell said.
“And as much as he tries to shirk the problem, Peter Gutwein was the Treasurer then and he is the Premier and Treasurer now, he owns this crisis.
“Tasmanians simply cannot afford to give the Liberals 11 straight years of running Tasmania’s health system into the ground.
“To solve the health crisis there is only one choice, you must vote 1-5 Labor.”
Media release – Tasmanian Liberals, 29 April 2021
Desperate Times For The Labor Party
Labor’s ambulance chaser Sarah Lovell has stooped to a new low.
In a desperate attempt for relevance, Ms Lovell has launched an attack on a legitimate community awareness campaign which was running before the election.
This last minute pitch for a cheap headline, is nothing but a smear campaign against Department and Ambulance Tasmania staff.
Is Ms Lovell saying all paramedics, doctors and nurses should stop working during the election campaign? These hardworking Ambulance Tasmania staff have a vital role to play in our community and should not have to deal with these politically motivated claims.
The facts of the matter are Labor has an appalling record on health. The last time they were in office they cut half a billion dollars from the Health Budget, sacked 287 nurses and closed entire hospital wards.
Only a re-elected majority Gutwein Liberal Government can Secure Tasmania’s Future.
Ella Haddad MP, Shadow Attorney-General, 29 April 2021
Independent legal advice backs up claims of Liberals caretaker convention breach in Ambulance ads
Tasmanian Government
advertisements promoting Ambulance Tasmania are in direct breach of the state’s caretaker conventions according to independent legal advice obtained by the Labor Party.
In a memorandum of legal advice provided by Greg Barns SC, he said ‘the Conventions are breached by the publication of the advertisement during the election period’ and ‘if commercial broadcasters continued to publish the Ambulance Tasmania advertisement (during the blackout period) there is an arguable breach of the Broadcasting Services Act’.
Almost 24 hours after Shadow Attorney-General Ella Haddad wrote to Peter Gutwein’s chief bureaucrat Jenny Gale asking for the advertisements to be removed, they are still being sponsored into the newsfeeds of Tasmanians.
Ms Haddad said while she received a reply from Ms Gale late this afternoon referring the matter to the Secretary of Health, the Liberal Party doubled down in supporting the breach of caretaker conventions this morning.
“All we have seen is a snide media release from the failed Health Minister Sarah Courtney,” Ms Haddad.
“Instead of name-calling from wherever she is hiding, Sarah Courtney should do the right thing and get these ads taken down.
“They are attempting to deceive the public from the very real crisis our health system is in right now with ambulance ramping and wait times literally killing people.
“It is clear that the desperate Liberal Party will say anything to get re-elected and is just another example of a gross misuse of taxpayer money by the Liberals.
“The question remains for Sarah Courtney, why she is getting spin doctors to deceive Tasmanians rather than real doctors to heal Tasmanians?”
Ms Haddad said the Liberals were trying to distract from their years of inaction which has led to the crisis in health.
“The Liberal Party cut $1.6 billion from the health budget over the past seven years,” she said.
“Peter Gutwein was the Treasurer then and he is the Premier and Treasurer now, he owns this crisis.
“Tasmanians simply cannot afford to give the Liberals 11 straight years of running Tasmania’s health system into the ground.
“To solve the health crisis there is only one choice, you must vote 1-5 Labor.”
