Health crisis forum to land in Health Minister’s electorate

The Opposition has moved in on Health Minister Yvette D’Ath’s electorate with a door knocking blitz and forum on health and crime crisis.

THE Opposition is ramping up pressure on the embattled Health Minister amid the state’s health crisis by holding a forum and a door knock blitz in her electorate.

The LNP called the policy, strategy and engagement assembly, following a refusal by the Palaszczuk Government to recall Parliament early rather than wait for the first sitting at the end of February.

Also adding to the pressure the LNP opened up preselection for a candidate in Yvette D’Ath’s Redcliffe electorate this week ahead of the 2024 state election.

Ms D’Ath won the seat at the last election with 56.1 per cent of the two-party preferred vote – making it among the government’s more marginal electorates.

Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Yvette D'Ath. Picture: Richard Walker.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli told The Sunday Mail earlier this month that LNP candidates would be in the field by Easter ahead of next year’s state election.

“It’s a long way out from an election, but I think it’s a good thing. We will get some key seats done this year,” he said at the time.

Ms D’Ath has fired back at the LNP following the announcement of the Redcliffe forum.

“I wonder if the doorknocking LNP MPs will remind Redcliffe residents of the 4400 health workers they sacked when they last in power.

“The LNP should be honest with Redcliffe residents and tell them if they will match the Palaszczuk Government’s commitment to invest more than $1 billion to upgrade the Redcliffe Hospital with more than 200 additional beds. Rather than lying before the election and cutting after, like they did in the Newman era, David Crisafulli should come clean on his planned cuts as soon as possible,” she said.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli. Picture: Emily Barker.

Calls for the sacking of Yvette D’Ath have been mounting over the Gladstone maternity bypass crisis — just one of a series of health problems to hit the state in the last year.

David Crisafulli visited Gladstone on Tuesday to meet the families denied maternity services and vowed that the Opposition will not stop fighting until full maternity services are restored at the hospital.

On the same day the Health Minister came under fire from advocates pushing for the end of the bypass for not flying to the regional city for a meeting but rather engaging with them via a zoom meeting.

Manager of Opposition Business Andrew Powell said the forum would focus on the Queensland Health Crisis and the youth crime epidemic.