THE Member for Bega Andrew Constance has said the much-anticipated new Bega Hospital will now not be built.
Mr Constance said the health minister Reba Meagher indicated to him in Parliament last Friday the proposed $100 million hospital for the Far South Coast is likely to be shelved as a result of the government’s failed electricity sell off.
“Minister Meagher indicated to me across the chamber that the $100 million Far South Coast Hospital is gone as a result of the Iemma Govern-ment’s failed electricity sell off,” Mr Constance said.
“She must now confirm her plans for the new hospital - is it happening or is it not?
“She needs to come out publically in a fair dinkum declaration to the community that Labor will not proceed with this facility.”
Mr Constance said the “question becomes why did the government announce a $100 million hospital back in April 2006, well before any power sell-off was on the agenda, if the minister and the government did not have the money to pay for it”?
According to Mr Constance, the state treasurer Michael Costa said in the Parliament on June 24 this year that no items in the infrastructure strategy were dependent on the government’s electricity plans.
“The scrapping of the $100 million hospital proposal has more to do with Labor’s $42 billion debt than their failed electricity sell off,” Mr Constance said.
“I was surprised Labor was going to build the hospital in the first place and maybe some of the local Labor Party officials and the Member for Monaro Steve Whan have a bit of explaining to do.
“This comes after the minister told Parliament last Thursday that Port Macquarie, Tumut, Wagga, Lismore and the Northern Beaches are to miss out on their hospitals as well.”
Mr Constance said the government had reached a new low: “spitting the dummy over Morris Iemma’s electricity sell-off plans and threatening to take it out on people in the Monaro and Bega electorates”.
“By her low life act, Reba Meagher has signalled that the health care of people in our region is to be used as a political play thing,” he said.
“Threatening to take away the hospital is a bullying tactic.
“This is Minister Meagher’s message: deny services to people in the country because Morris Iemma could not convince his own backbenchers to sell-off electricity, including Penny Sharp who is an Upper House ALP member responsible for the Far South Coast.”
Mr Constance said Ms Meagher had looked at him across the Chamber and said “Bega Valley Shire Hospital – gone”.
“It’s those taunts that we have seen out of the government over the past four days, threatening everything from disability services, water projects and the hospital,” he said.
“This building and the one at Pambula are not meeting the needs of the community’s health care in our region and I am very loudly and very publically demanding a response from the government in terms of what their intentions are.”
Through a spokeswoman, the minister for health yesterday issued a statement to the Bega District News, reiterating a press release from last week.
“(Leader of the Opposition)“Barry O’Farrell’s blackhearted decision to opt for 15 minutes of fame over the best interests of the people of New South Wales has cost this state billions of dollars.
“He needs to explain to families right across NSW why the Government now has to invest in additional electricity generators instead of new public hospitals and GP clinics.
“His spineless decision means that every health project on our major capital plan now needs to be reviewed and reprioritised, regardless of when the commitment was made.”
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