RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS - Queensland Parliament ...

22 Apr 2009 Questions Without Notice 47
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer will refer to the honourable Leader of the Opposition by his
correct title.
Mr FRASER: Thank you, Mr Speaker. The reality of course is that the person who was not
allowed to play in the band was the shadow Treasurer. So he is out there to whistle a different tune for
the rest of the term.
The reality is that the only jobs that those in the LNP, those on the other side of the chamber, are
interested in at the moment are their own jobs—who is going to have what job through the next
parliament. Those are the only jobs they are concerned about. On this side of the House it is our focus
on the jobs of each and every Queenslander that drives our commitment to work each and every day for
the betterment of the Queensland community to fight off the worst of the global recession and to fight off
the ravages of rising unemployment. There is no greater calling for a government at a time like this than
to provide for the dignity of employment and to fight off the tragedy of rising unemployment.
Queensland Children’s Hospital
Ms GRACE: My question without notice is to the Minister for Health. Can the minister please
inform the House as to the status of the Queensland Children’s Hospital?
Mr LUCAS: I thank the honourable member for her question. She has a strong interest in the
welfare of children in our health system—in particular children in the Royal Children’s Hospital and the
Mater Children’s Hospital. My first meeting as health minister was with senior clinicians from both the
Mater and the Royal Children’s Hospital to discuss our Queensland Children’s Hospital. That was a very
productive and cordial meeting that I conducted with the Premier and senior people from my
department.
I have since been to visit both the Mater and the Royal Children’s Hospital and spent time with
doctors, seeing the great work that they do. I had the chance to witness a heart operation on a oneyear-old
child performed by an expert surgeon at the Mater Children’s Hospital. I understand the
importance of children’s health. As a parent, I understand why it matters so much to Queensland’s mum
and dads. We want to make sure that Queensland kids get the best health care available.
All the evidence is that building a single facility that locates specialist paediatric services in one
place delivers the best clinical outcomes for sick kids. That is what we are doing. Most recently, the
Garling inquiry in New South Wales indicated that in that state a single specialist children’s hospital is
the best way to go.
It is more than that. Anyone who thinks that Queensland Health begins and ends south of Noosa
is wrong. We will have a Queensland Children’s Hospital, not a Brisbane Children’s Hospital. It shows us
why the LNP did so badly in regional Queensland when it thought it was appropriate, against clinical
advice and three years of its own policy, to have two children’s hospitals about four kilometres from each
other and not then consider how they interacted with children in the rest of the state.
Sydney has a Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Adelaide has an Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. We
have a Queensland Symphony Orchestra. We will have a Queensland Children’s Hospital, not a
Brisbane Children’s Hospital, because this state does not begin and end in South-East Queensland
alone.
The opposition made it a very clear issue in the election. I suppose one of the most disappointing
parts of it is that the then Leader of the Opposition—and now of course the putative Leader of the
Opposition that he is—made a virtue of actually wasting more money in terms of having two hospitals
rather than understanding that we have competing priorities throughout Queensland.
We are already on with the job of delivering this $1.1 billion project. We can see the bricks and
mortar and the dirt being moved around there. Work is being done on the St Laurence’s school
campuses, which I know that you, Mr Speaker, would be particularly interested in. We look after them,
notwithstanding their former students!
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no need to be provocative.
Mr LUCAS: We will deliver 71 extra beds and 37 emergency department bays—double the
current number. This is a very important project. It will be a chief priority for us to deliver.
Electricity Prices
Mr SEENEY: My question without notice is to the Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and
Energy. Under the terms of clause 90 of the Electricity Act it says—
The minister must—
and I emphasise ‘must’—
for each tariff year decide the prices.