Transcript of media conference with Rebecca White, Labor Leader, Robbie Moore, State Secretary of Health and Community Services Union, and John Kamara, Labor candidate for Clark, New Town, 19 March 2024

Rebecca White

A Labor Government will prioritise taking urgent action on cost of living, including how we can provide better health care to Tasmanians. We want to be building more hospitals and that’s why today we’re standing on a site where a Labor Government will purchase this land and the DA that’s been approved by the council to build a public elective surgery hospital.

A Labor government’s priority is about building houses and hospitals and today is about making sure that we can provide those elective surgeries to Tasmanians, who are waiting on waiting lists for far too long. It’s our understanding that the cost to purchase this land and to build the hospital will be in the order of $160 million. We’ll be able to build it by 2027, providing eight theatres to provide elective surgery procedures to Tasmanians, as many as 13,000 procedures every year.

This would be a public facility staffed with allied health professionals, nurses, doctors, to take pressure off the Royal Hobart Hospital. What we’re seeing regularly at the major hospitals is that they can’t proceed with their elective surgery lists because they are dealing with patients who are presenting to the emergency department. Our hospitals are very full, they are very busy. This would provide a way for us to deal with patients who are waiting far too long for elective surgery in our state through a dedicated elective surgery hospital. Robbie Moore is here from the Health and Community Services Union, he can talk about what this means from the perspective of the workforce.

Robbie Moore

Robbie Moore, State Secretary of the Health and Community Services Union. This is exactly what health workers have been asking for. We need new hospitals and new hospital beds opened. This announcement is exactly what we need. Because in the last 24 hours we’ve seen some of the worst ramping at the Royal Hobart Hospital 24 new beds at this facility is a part of the solution for fixing ramping and to fix the hospital bed block situation that we have. So we think this is a really positive announcement and shows that Tasmanians have a real alternative on Saturday, to change government and to look at a party that will invest in our health system.

Journalist – Josh Duggan

How disappointing was it that the original plans for a private hospital here did fall over?

Robbie Moore

It was disappointing that that hospital didn’t go ahead, but I actually think this is a better model. This is a public hospital that will deliver for all Tasmanian so I really welcome this announcement and think that it could have a real positive effect on our health system and help this fix our health system.

Tasmanian Times

What’s the morale like at the moment amongst health workers given the levels of funding and the level of service that they’re actually able to provide within constraints of the current system?

Robbie Moore

Morale is a real issue across our health system, workers are extremely affected by the fact that they feel like they’re failing patients at the moment. We had one of the worst 24 hour periods overnight in terms of our health system and ramping at the Royal Hobart Hospital and the morale is a real issue. What staff want to see is announcements around new beds, about new facilities that are actually showing that there is some solutions to fix the health crisis.

Journalist – Josh Duggan

Can you just talk us through that ramping situation last night? How many ambulances were there and how was it worse than previous situations?

Robbie Moore

Last night the ramping situation was so bad that there was significant delays in ambulances attending emergency situations and patients were put at risk. What made last night so bad was that we had a situation where every single ambulance was ramped at the hospital. And we know that that led to increased response times and put Tasmanians lives at risk. That was Royal Hobart Hospital last night.

Journalist – Josh Duggan

When you say every ambulance, that’s every ambulance in the south?

Robbie Moore

Every southern ambulance was ramped at the Royal at one point. We had the transfer of care unit – something that should be a temporary measure – at full capacity and the emergency department had long delays. It was a horrific situation overnight and just shows how bad our health system is and how bad the Liberal government has been for the last 10 years in neglecting Tasmanians and their health needs.

Journalist – Alexandra Alvaro

[inaudible] staff a hospital like this?

Robbie Moore

Robbie Moore, HACSU.

Recent announcements around allowances that will be able to be paid, a market allowance that will be able to be paid to health professionals, will mean that we can attract finally staff to Tasmania. We’ll be able to do that by paying allied health professionals, the same rates that they would get interstate. We’ve already seen all the major parties commit to a market allowance for pharmacists. And we also know that the Labor Party have said that they are going to look at it for other professions such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and other allied health professionals that we have shortages of.

Journalist – Alexandra Alvaro

How long is the elective surgery wait-list and how many surgeries would need to be performed at this facility to cope with the rising number of people needing it?

Robbie Moore

The government is isn’t even honest about that because the reality is people aren’t getting specialist appointments to be even added to the list. So while their numbers have seen some slight improvement, the reality is for patients is that it’s far worse.

Journalist – Alexandra Alvaro

Would offloading of patients in the ramped ambulances waiting to be admitted have solved the problem?

Robbie Moore

The offload procedure if it had been implemented last night, would have made last night a lot safer for Tasmanians. And that’s why we need to see that implemented. I’ve just left before I came here the Tasmanian Industrial Commission where that procedure is currently being discussed and worked through between all the parties. But we need to see that offload procedure implemented as soon as possible to fix ambulance ramping and to ensure that response times for ambulances are reduced.

Journalist – Josh Duggan

Are nurses in the wrong by locking that through the TIC or do you think that the level of consultation hasn’t met what they would expect?

Robbie Moore

The ANMF have been right to advocate that we need to see additional resources in the emergency department and throughout the hospital to ensure that the the system works. But what can no longer go on is ambulance has been ramped for unlimited times. We’ve seen ambulances ramped for five, six, seven hours and that’s not sustainable. Those ambulances need to be able to respond to emergencies.

Tasmanian Times

The term ‘elective surgery’ can be a little bit deceptive because often these surgeries are very important. Will this facility save lives?

Robbie Moore

This facility will save lives. It will save lives by helping fix the bed-block situation that is causing ambulance ramping and causing people to be in the emergency department for extended time periods and not getting the health care that they should be getting.

Journalist – Josh Duggan

When you he said before this shows that Tasmanians have a credible alternative on Saturday, would you be asking Tasmanians to remove the current Liberal government?

Robbie Moore

I do call on Tasmanians to seriously consider changing the government. We have been let down over the last 10 years by a government that doesn’t care about Tasmanians and doesn’t care about our health system. And I would look to alternatives who can – such as the Labor government – who can actually deliver and making commitments such as what we’re hearing today.

Journalist – Alexandra Alvaro

Obviously the plans and the hospital were abandoned because costs kept blowing out. Are you committing yourself to cost blowouts?

Rebecca White

This is a project where the DA has been approved and we understand it will cost about $160 million for us to purchase the site and to build a new elective surgery hospital. We believe this is a good investment. It’ll mean that we can actually deliver better services to Tasmanians. Within three years we can have this hospital operational.

We know that Tasmanians are waiting far too long for surgery. There are nearly 60,000 Tasmanians waiting to see a specialist, there are more than 8,000 Tasmanians waiting to get elective surgery. This particular hospital could provide 13,000 surgeries every year. We would work with the department to understand what particular focus they need to be to make sure we can provide the best care for Tasmanians.

But this is an investment in Tasmania’s future. It’s about supporting our health workforce, so they can keep doing their job. At the moment they’re exhausted. They want to care for patients, but they simply haven’t got the resources to do that well.

Journalist – Josh Duggan

Are you confident that the staffing solutions put forward by Labor during this campaign are enough to staff this extra hospital?

Rebecca White

We’ve made commitments this campaign to provide free university degrees for 470 health workers across our state. In return, they need to commit to work in our health service for three years. So that provides continuity of care for patients and it builds a culture where we respect and support staff.

We’d make 500 health workers permanent, because a quarter of our health workforce is on fixed term contracts or are casual. They don’t have job security and that means they’re looking to go elsewhere where they can find that, and that means leaving Tasmania.

We’re providing 300 scholarships to study at our university every year on top of what’s already provided, so we can build the workforce we need for our health system, creating opportunities for nurses and allied health professionals to get a career here in our state. We’ve got a suite of policies that we’ve already announced that will help to support the workforce that we need for Tasmania’s health system.

We also know we need more beds and that’s why this investment today is so vital, it takes pressure off our busy emergency department. And it means that our doctors can actually get through their elective surgery lists without those being disrupted or interrupted with emergency cases that come through an emergency department.

This project will take until 2027 to be built. It will then start to provide services to Tasmanians. At full operation it will require the employment of 100 staff across our eight surgical beds, there are 24 day beds as well. This will operate Monday to Friday, providing day surgery procedures for Tasmanians who are waiting far too long for surgery.

Journalist – Elliott

Will people in the local area be happy to see something built on the site? Has it become somewhat of an eyesore?

Rebecca White

The Tasmanian community knows that we need to support our health system better. A Labor Government will prioritise building houses and hospitals and today’s announcement will mean that this project can go ahead. The development application has been approved by the council. There’s been community consultation around the design of that and it’s been supported. I’m sure the community would welcome the addition of a new public elective surgery hospital being built right here. They’ll be able to use it in the future, they’ll be able to find employment here in the future. This is a really great win win for the community

Tasmanian Times

There’s a big For Sale sign just over there. Have you been in touch with the current owners about whether they’re interested in selling?

Rebecca White

In this site? Yes, we’ve been in touch with the current owners of this site, as well as Nexus about the purchase of this land to build a hospital. That’s why I’m very proud to make this announcement today. I know we can deliver on this. We’ve been in negotiations with them. And if we’re elected on Saturday, we’ll be able to commence that transaction so Tasmanians can have a dedicated elective surgery hospital in the south.

Tasmanian Times

So you’re using the same design?

Rebecca White

We would buy the DA. So today’s announcement is that a Labor government would build a dedicated elective surgery hospital on this site, we would buy the land and the development application that’s already been approved. It means that we can commence construction immediately as soon as that transaction is finalised.

Journalist – Josh Duggan

So you said $160 million to build the site? What’s the cost when you factor in staffing and buying the site?

Rebecca White

The cost to build this hospital is $160 million. The cost to fully staff it once we’re fully operational is $20 million a year. And that’ll be offset with some activity-based funding from the federal government too, who pay 50% of those costs.

Journalist – Josh Duggan

But the site, do you have an expected cost to to purchase the site?

Rebecca White

$160 million is to purchase the site and to build the hospital?

Journalist – Elliott

Are there parking spaces?

Rebecca White

Where’s the design? Obviously, the development application has been approved by the council. It meets all of their requirements regarding parking as well as the expected community need for a building of this size.

Journalist – Alexandra Alvaro

The Premier announced today that he’s extending drought relief statewide, five days out from an elections. Are you happy with that?

Rebecca White

There’s no doubt that the Tasmanian farming community has been calling out for support everywhere you look. It’s very dry. I think it’s the lowest rainfall Tasmania seen since 2003. So it’s sensible to be able to provide support. But again, we are just days out from an election and the Premier’s made another announcement about more drought relief. I mean, they’ve had weeks where they could have acted on this and they could have done it before the election was called. It does seem a little political and when something as serious as this is affecting people’s livelihoods politics shouldn’t come anywhere near it.

Journalist – Josh Duggan

Have you been disappointed by the number of these instances we’ve seen that appear to be in a grey area around caretaker conventions?

Rebecca White

It has been disappointing to see the government make a significant number of announcements this campaign where traditionally you would expect caretaker conventions to require there to be an opportunity to be briefed on this as the opposition party. That hasn’t happened. At the very least I’ve been offered a cursory text. And usually that’s just a couple of minutes before the Premier has stood up to provide a public announcement.

It is disappointing that they seem to have no regard for the general conventions that ordinarily apply in an election, where you’re making decisions on behalf of Tasmanians, using taxpayer money and how it’s used. In this case we support it. I think Tasmanians can see it’s a very dry landscape and our farmers are struggling. I grew up on a farm and I understand how much pressure that can cause so we want to make sure our farmers have support. But it would have been nice if this hadn’t been announced during the election campaign. It does appear quite cynical.

Journalist – Alexandra Alvaro

So you just got a text before, he didn’t discuss it with you?

Rebecca White

Yes.

Tasmanian Times

Just on regard for conventions. We’ve had quite a few complaints about candidate signage being placed in road reserves under the control of the Department of State Growth. State Growth has sent us a copy of the letter they sent to every candidate on March 5, advising them that permits are required for this and permits were not issued as a convention. So why as of this week we still see signs – I’ve seen photos today – posters of Simon Bailey, Meg Brown, Dean Winter in Franklin, Janie Finlay and Michelle O’Byrne beside major roads: the Bass Highway, Southern Outlet, Huon Highway. Why are Labor candidates still flouting the law in this regard?

Rebecca White

When it comes to the installation of core flutes or posters, they’re usually done by volunteers. Who are doing their very best to support the candidate that’s running for office. There may be mistakes made.

But I would point out that the biggest breach of the planning laws is by a member of the Liberal Party who’s got massive big trucks in paddocks with billboards on the side of them, which should have received a development application in order for them to be in that spot. And they never did that.

So I think before the Liberal Party throw stones here, they should look in their own backyard. They’ve been flouting the laws around this for months now, with massive big trailers and billboards on the side of them. And they’re not mistakes. They’re not put there accidentally by volunteers. They’re deliberate.

Tasmanian Times

I’m not asking the question on behalf of the Liberal Party, and I will put the same question to them. But would you therefore commit to – you’ve obviously got people working with you on your campaign – to inform all your candidates and advise them to remove those signs immediately?

Rebecca White

I can follow that up.

Journalist – Josh Duggan

The AFL CEO Andrew Dillon last night said the stadium was a non-negotiable. Are you still convinced that the stadium is a negotiable?

Rebecca White

I’m convinced that Tasmanians want a team but I’m not convinced that Tasmanian taxpayers should need to fund a billion dollar stadium in Hobart. I think most Tasmanians can see that the AFL, of course are going to say what they say because this far out from election campaign, they can see that there’s a real move for change in Tasmania.

They got a great deal out of the Liberal Party when they signed that agreement. Of course they don’t want to change that. My job is to stand up for Tasmanians. And I think Tasmanians want a better deal. And I’ll go in and bat for them every single time.

Thousands of people have signed up for foundation memberships. Is that enough proof for you that it’s going to be a success and therefore there should be stadium?

I signed up for a foundation membership. My kids did too. I don’t think they’ve got a particular view, certainly might not my two year old on whether there should be a stadium. But I’m excited that we can have our own team. And I think there’ll be thousands of Tasmanians, who feel the same way, that we support our men’s and women’s teams being established here in our state. We’re a proud football state. It doesn’t mean those same people support a stadium.

Journalist – Josh Duggan

Dean Young says you’ve told a lie by saying that you’ve been in contact with the AFL but not telling us who you’re in contact with. What do you make of –

Rebecca White

Oh, I’ll miss Dean Young’s insightful contributions after Saturday. Of course I’ve been in conversations with people in the AFL. I’m not going to bother about whatever the Liberal Party say here. If they are listening to Tasmanians they will be hearing that the main issue Tasmanians care about are cost of living, health and housing. That’s why the Labor Party’s focus is on building more houses and building new hospitals. This is what our state needs. This is what a Labor Government will deliver.

Journalist – Elliott

Just to clarify you’ve had actual discussions with the AFL? Not just left voice messages?

Rebecca White

Yes, I have. Like that time that we Will Hodgman left a voice message for Christopher Pyne? Yes, I can confirm I’ve had real conversations with employees of AFL house in Melbourne. As you would expect, I take this job seriously. I take my responsibilities very seriously. And if we’re elected on Saturday, I’ll be sitting down having respectful conversations with them about the future for Tasmania’s AFL team, because we need to see it delivered. It’s not in jeopardy under my government, and whoever is elected on Saturday is going to need to sit down and renegotiate that deal with the AFL because there are commitments the Liberal Party has made the selection which means that they will be in the same position.

Tasmanian Times

Is Dean Young being very hypocritical given that the deal that was signed didn’t even go through Cabinet, so he as a backbencher wouldn’t have been privy to any of the negotiations. Is he puttin’ on the dog a bit to ask you to reveal all about the negotiations that you’re having?

Rebecca White

Oh yes. Tasmanians should be reminded that the stadium project didn’t go to Cabinet, it wasn’t ticked off by the government through the normal way a big project like this would be. It hasn’t even been costed by Treasury. The lack of consultation with the Tasmanian community regarding this project is offensive to so many people and has divided the state over something that should be uniting us in such a significant week when we’ve launched the team.

Journalist – Alexandra Alvaro

In relation to the Reynolds matter [inaudible]

Rebecca White

I can’t understand how the Deputy Premier Michael Ferguson could receive a briefing note two days before the funeral of Mr Reynolds, not read it, not have anyone in his office draw hi attention to the fact the contents of that said there were allegations that this person had committed the worst crimes against children, and that he was willing to put state funds into a state funeral for this man. And he didn’t read it for weeks afterwards. There are so many inconsistencies in this story.

But fundamentally, if a minister and in this case Michael Ferguson received information to their office of allegations of this nature, the first thing you should do is undertake an independent investigation, not leave it to somebody else and hope that they follow it up. This is one of the most serious accusations that can possibly be brought against any person. State funds have been used to pay for this funeral. He was the Police Minister, he is ultimately responsible.

Journalist – Josh Duggan

If you were a Police Minister, and you found out that Tasmanian police had effectively thrown this funeral, which some have described as kind of celebrating the guy, who had these acts against him potentially, would that spur you on to investigate how that had happened?

Rebecca White

If I were the Police Minister, I would have been horrified to learn of this information. The first thing I would have done is demand a full explanation about how it occurred and what’s going to happen to make sure that we don’t ever see this occur again. That’s not what Michael Ferguson did. He failed to be transparent with Tasmanians about this for years. It wasn’t until a right to information request was released that he’s even come clean on this matter.

He’s been unable to front the media. He made a selective call to a radio station and chose the way that he described his conduct in this manner. It lacks integrity. It lacks transparency and lacks accountability. Michael Ferguson should stand up in front of Tasmanians and explain whether he asked for that briefing note or whether the agency provided it to him. Why didn’t he read it before the event? Because typically, you read a briefing note before the event occurs. And when he found out about what was contained in that briefing note, why did he do nothing to make sure he followed up with that?

Journalist – unidentified

Would you say this was a cover up?

Rebecca White

Tasmanians will draw their own conclusion. But I would say what we have is example here where the minister received information about serious allegations of child abuse by a police officer. He was the minister and did nothing to outline what he was going to do about it for years and years and years. That reeks of a cover up.

Journalist – Josh Duggan

The government – or the government’s media advisors – are saying that, in his interview on ABC Radio, which was at 530 in the afternoon is good enough, and he doesn’t need to stand up and answer questions today.

Rebecca White

Would you like to ask him questions?

Journalist – Josh Duggan

I’ve asked multiple times. And I’ve been told that ‘no, that’s good enough’. We were told that he wouldn’t be answering questions. And then we were told the reason that he wasn’t able to answer questions was because he was out of range all day. Is he hiding?

Rebecca White

I think there are serious questions about whether Michael Ferguson is hiding here. Is he really going to hide until election day? I mean, we’ve seen this behaviour before from the Liberal Party, where they Adam Brooks away for the election campaign. He needs to come clean. And if he doesn’t, then the Premier should sack him because that just demonstrates that he doesn’t have the integrity Tasmanians have come to expect from their parliamentarians.

Journalist – Elliott

Farm Transparency Project has released virtual tours of Tasmanian slaughterhouses. Would it be a priority if you’re elected for the Labor government to prioritise the actions of the livestock task-force?

Rebecca White

If the election hadn’t been called early, the Parliament would have had the minister report on the 5th of March about the work of the task-force and what further actions the government was going to take to make sure that Tasmanians can have confidence in our slaughterhouses. That didn’t happen, of course, because there was an early election called.

What the Tasmanian Government should have done is still maintain their commitment to that date and release the information, updating the community about the task-force’s work. My government will be much more transparent with Tasmanians if we’re elected on Saturday. It’s a key priority of ours.

When it comes to this issue around abattoirs in Tasmania, I think Tasmania deserve to know what’s going on is appropriate and that animal welfare matters are being dealt with as you would expect. And if that’s not occurring, then the law should reflect those offences, and there should be consequences.

Tasmanian Times

Who would be the Police Minister in a Rebecca White led government? And what action would they take on this issue, on the Reynolds matter?

Rebecca White

Michelle O’Byrne’s the current Shadow Minister for Police. If we’re elected on Saturday, then she’s got the experience in his portfolio to continue on as the minister in Tasmania. I think that what you would see from us whether it’s that portfolio or any other portfolio, are ministers who bring experience as well as real integrity to their jobs. Tasmanians really have had a gutful of this Liberal government, particularly in recent weeks, about the way they’re being treated. We deserve better than this, Tasmanians deserve a better standard from this.

Journalist – Elliott

Quickly, John, just a comment from you about what this would mean for your community?

John Kamara

I’m John Kamara, I’m a Labor candidate for Clark. I have lived in the northern suburbs for 15 years. And I think we have to go and run around for health care when we need health care. My daughter, for example, has some health issues. So I know what healthcare means. So to have hospitals like this, in this vicinity, I think is just going to be a game changer for the community. I going to be a win win, as Rebecca said, a win for the community, but also a win for people, the workers and the staff who are doing it tough during the current health crisis. It will immensely benefit the community.

Announcing the hospital: Ella Haddad, Josh Willie, Simon Davis, Robbie Moore, Rebecca White.

Media release – Michael Ferguson, Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Planning, Member for Bass, 19 March 2024

Labor’s Desperate Last Gasp On Health Would Gut RHH

Labor has shown how desperate it’s become with a half-baked thought-bubble that would gut the Royal Hobart Hospital.

If it’s such a good idea why didn’t Ms White announce it two weeks ago?

The Labor leader didn’t even mention the word ‘health’ at her campaign launch, but now Ms White has cobbled together a last minute idea to build a new hospital at New Town.

What Labor is proposing simply doesn’t stack up.

Hospitals have to be staffed.

Labor’s proposal would require at least 170 staff and cost at least an additional $60 million a year to run.

The only way to staff such a facility would be to move surgeons and nurses from existing facilities.

Elective surgeries at the Royal would be severely impacted.

Emergency surgeries needed at the Royal would be compromised.

Labor’s so-called hospital doesn’t even have an Emergency Department.

How can you have a public hospital without emergency care?

It won’t help ramping, indeed it would make it worse by stretching resources.

Labor’s costings simply don’t add up. The cost of purchasing the land would have already skyrocketed following Labor’s underprepared and undeveloped promise.

A re-elected majority Rockliff Liberal Government”s 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future will deliver nearly half a billion dollars of capital upgrades to hospital infrastructure across Tasmania.