YESTERDAY IN QUESTION TIME MR GUTWEIN, IN AN ATTEMPT TO POINT SCORE AGAINST HIS LABOR COUNTERPART SCOTT BACON, SUGGESTED MR BACON WAS SUFFERING PTSD AS SOME SORT OF COMICAL REPARTEE
Last year when the Premier suggested that the then Opposition Leader Bryan Green should slit his wrists he was forced to apologise due to public outcry.
HACSU represents health workers across all sectors in Tasmania. We have members who, due to the nature of their work, are exposed to trauma and sometimes unfortunately they develop PTSD. This is not something that should be joked about. For our members afflicted, this disease is debilitating and restricts their personal and professional relationships.
For the Treasurer to stoop so low and to ignore calls, at the time, to withdraw the remarks so flippantly in some sort of satirical obfuscation is a complete slap in the face to every sufferer of this insidious indiscriminate condition.
We have had feedback from Members that we should seek that the remarks are withdrawn from the official Hansard and further that Treasurer Gutwein should apologise to all who suffer from PTSD. We call on Mr Gutwein to apologise and make a further commitment that he will not stoop to this level again for political point scoring possibilities.
What next, jokes about brain tumours, skin grafts, cerebral palsy or quadriplegia? Tasmanians deserve better from people elected to parliament, whatever colour of politics they represent.
HACSU STATE SECRETARY TIM JACOBSON
