Wednesday 18 February 2009

AMBULANCE RESCUE OFFICERS BETRAYED BY HEALTH MINISTER & INCOMPETENT PREMIER

The final nail in the coffin of the Ambulance Rescue Service signals the complete betrayal of our hardworking and dedicated officers by the State Labor Government, Shadow Minister for Health Jillian Skinner said today.

“Nearly 6 months after being sacked via text message, Ambulance Rescue Officers have now been told their jobs have officially disappeared less than three months into a supposed 12 month review,” Mrs Skinner said.

“Nathan Rees, his Health Minister John Della Bosca and the State Labor Government have treated these hardworking professionals with absolute contempt,” she said.

“The State Government’s handling of this issue has been another exercise in gross Labor incompetence – and Nathan Rees and John Della Bosca’s fingerprints are all over it.

“It was Nathan Rees as Emergency Services Minister who got the ball rolling, and John Della Bosca who finished the job. It’s been one deception after another from the State Labor Government:

18 July 2008 – State Labor Government refuses to outline plans for Ambulance Rescue
21 August 2008 – State Labor Government says it won’t axe Ambulance Rescue
3 September 2008 – State Labor Government axes Ambulance Rescue
28 November 2008 – State Labor Government claims to have saved Ambulance Rescue
4 December 2008 – State Rescue Board votes to axe Ambulance Rescue
17 February 2009 – State Labor Government axes Ambulance Rescue

“The State Labor Government denied it was going to axe Ambulance Rescue, then axed it, claimed it saved it before axing it again – how does Nathan Rees or John Della Bosca expect the public to believe anything they say?

“After giving Ambulance Rescue officers a 12 month review, the State Labor Government has sacked them in less than 3 months, so much for a fair go.

“And despite his State Labor Government axing Ambulance Rescue yesterday, Nathan Rees tried to claim he had no idea what had happened today – he’s either lying or has Ministers who deliberately keep him in the dark,” Mrs Skinner said.

SIX MONTHS OF LABOR

DITHERING AND DECEPTION

18 July 2008: Shadow Health Minister Jillian Skinner calls on the State Labor Government to come clean on its plans for the Ambulance Rescue Service following rumours it will be disbanded by the end of the year (press release);
21 August 2008: Premier Morris Iemma tells the Maitland Mercury: “firefighters are not replacing ambulance rescue officers or paramedics” (Maitland Mercury);
3 September 2008: Health Minister Reba Meagher axes Ambulance Rescue Services. Some officers are sacked by text message;
26 November 2008: Health Minister John Della Bosca tells Parliament: “I thought that the way in which the decision was made was inappropriate. That is very clear… those highly skilled people have not been treated, in my terms, with the respect with which they should have been treated at the time”;
28 November 2008: Premier Nathan Rees overturns the decision to close the Ambulance Rescue Service (Channel 9 News);
2 December 2008: Health Minister John Della Bosca confirms the State Labor Government u-turn with his spokesman stating the decision had been reversed for 12 months to allow for another review (SMH & ABC radio);
4 December 2008: The State Rescue Board votes to uphold the State Labor Government’s original decision to axe the Ambulance Rescue Service (2GB);
17 February 2009: Barely two months after announcing a 12 month review the State Labor Government officially axes the Ambulance Rescue Service, telling officers via an internal memo by Mike Willis (Daily Telegraph);
Today: Premier Nathan Rees claims he knows nothing of his State Labor Government’s decision to axe the Ambulance Rescue Service on 2GB, see below:

Alan Jones: “Just before you go, we always run out of time, the Ambulance Rescue Service has been told it will be decommissioned. Is that right?

Nathan Rees: “Ah look I’ll have to get some advice on that Alan.”

Alan Jones: “I thought you were the person who said we’d keep the Ambulance Rescue Service. I’m told that 120 specially trained paramedics will go to general duties, and it was delivered yesterday to officers, many of whom are working on the Victorian bushfires. That’s a pretty rough way of doing it isn’t it?”

Nathan Rees: “Ahhhh, well look I’ll have to get some advice on that. I haven’t been briefed on that. I know there were discussions between the relevant Ministers in recent weeks and months, but I’ll have to get some advice on that for you.”