Media release – Peter Gutwein, Premier & Jeremy Rockliff, Deputy Premier, Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, 11 August 2021
Updated Tasmania Statement signed today
In response to advice from the Premier’s Health and Wellbeing Council, an updated Tasmania Statement was signed today by Premier Peter Gutwein, Deputy Premier and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing Jeremy Rockliff, and Council Chair Graeme Lynch.
The updated agreement directly references the impact of climate change on the wellbeing of people, acknowledging the need to continue taking practical action on climate change because of its impact on the health and wellbeing of Tasmanians.
Premier Peter Gutwein said the updated statement demonstrates the Tasmanian Government’s commitment to improve health and wellbeing, both now and into the future.
“The Tasmania Agreement, first signed in 2019, is a fundamental document that supports our commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of every Tasmanian,” the Premier said.
“This update appropriately recognises that climate change is an important issue for many Tasmanians, and while we are already a leader in climate action, having achieved our net zero emissions target the last five years in a row, we know that more needs to be done.
“Our Climate Change Act and target is under review, and we are developing a new climate action plan. Consultation on both demonstrated that Tasmanians are seeking more ambitious climate action, and programs to build community resilience and address health and wellbeing risks in a changing climate.
“We are currently working through this process, with a view to releasing the independent review of the act, a new target, and our new action plan later this year, as we continue to secure our future.”
Deputy Premier and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing Jeremy Rockliff said today’s re-signing reaffirms our ongoing commitment to the agreement and the principles it promotes.
“The agreement recognises the importance of education, housing, and employment to Tasmanians, with climate change now appropriately recognised as well,” Minister Rockliff said.
“It reaffirms our health reform agenda and the government’s goal to improve the health and wellbeing of all Tasmanians.
Media release – Dr Bastian Seidel MLC, Shadow Minister for Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing, 12 August 2021
Liberals betrayal on access to safe reproductive health continues
The Gutwein government’s dangerous ideology on reproductive health has seen access to safe terminations continue to be denied to Tasmanian women.
Shadow Health Minister Dr Bastian Seidel said the Liberals had promised to deliver access to terminations three years ago but had utterly failed and continued to release only confusing information for Tasmanian women.
“Two Health Ministers and three years ago, the Liberals promised to deliver and they simply have not,” Dr Seidel said.
“With Michael Ferguson as Health Minister the promise was broken. His successor Sarah Courtney followed suit.
“The only way to access a safe, low cost termination in Tasmania is because we are fortunate to have some private obstetricians who work with organisations like Women’s Health Tasmania and Family Planning Tasmania.
“These organisations go above and beyond to ensure people have the transport, the funding and access to legal health procedures.
“But the government continues to utterly fail.
“It’s now been more than three years since Tasmania’s only dedicated termination clinic in Hobart closed and this government doesn’t care about safe reproductive health, it never has.
“The fact is Tasmania has some of the best rights to terminations, but still some of the worst access, because the Liberal government has made it wilfully, unnecessarily difficult to gain that access.
“That’s solely and largely because of the personal beliefs of key members of the Gutwein Cabinet.
“It’s now up to new Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff.
“Will he deliver or will he follow in the shameful footsteps of failed Health Ministers Ferguson and Courtney?”
