What you said about ‘Mediscare’ campaign that rocked first day of Qld election battle

The launch of a ‘Mediscare’ style campaign by Queensland’s largest union has ignited a fierce debate. HAVE YOUR SAY

3 min read

October 2, 2024 - 11:05AM

Ros Bates MP. Photo: Richard Walker

QLD Politics

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Queensland’s largest union has launched a “Mediscare” style campaign claiming - with no evidence - the LNP are attempting to privatise health services.

The Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union in an election eve ad blitz has called for voters to “put the LNP last” as the party was planning to “privatise health services” – despite having no evidence.

The union bases its claim on comments made by opposition health spokeswoman Ros Bates, where she voiced support for an existing $100m government scheme to use private hospitals to treat public patients in a bid to treat Queenslanders closer to where they live.

The union ad is reminiscent of the 2016 Federal Labor scare campaign claiming a Coalition government would privatise Medicare.

The launch of the campaign has rocked the first official day of the Queensland election and has generated a significant reaction from our readers.

See what you had to say below and join the conversation >>>

WHAT YOU SAID

‘Pathetic scare campaign’

Zee

QNMU is a useless union. Nurses leaving in droves. QLD government already has patients being treated in private hospitals at no cost to the patient. This allows treatment rather than waiting until a theatre slot opens in the public system. I wouldn’t believe a word they said as they take nearly half of the fee nurses pay & give it to the Labor party. One of many reasons I changed to another union.

We received an ALP flyer in the letterbox yesterday, saying that the LNP was going to sell the Logan Hospital... really???

Not an Automaton

What a pathetic ‘scare campaign’ by this union. They should be embarrassed to put their names to a lie such as this. To my mind it is reminiscent of the sort of tripe dished up by leaders in autocratically governed nations where the population doesn’t have access to a free and open press. Fortunately, in Australia, we do have a free press. As I said at the outset, pathetic.

Peter

Here we go Queensland, there will be some Mud Slinging and Rubbish in the next few weeks 🙄

Pathetic. A ‘win at all and any costs’ just confirms to me as a totally non-alligned voter that I can’t possibly vote for Labor.

Cal

Here we go again with the scare tactics. Ergon are already telling its members to vote Labor cos the LNP will sell Ergon. Who sold the Port of Brisbane? .Now that was Labor.

Deborah

Pathetic and disappointing! The union should be doing their job representing nurses and midwives, not scaremongering!

‘Fact checking should be mandatory’

Ted

Any comments made during an election should have to be fact-checked . Isn’t airbus going for a misinformation bill to stop lies!!!!

Damo

Another election,the same Labour lies. Fact checking should be mandatory for all elections.

Barry

I bet the “fact checkers” don’t get around to looking at the blatant and egregious lies of the Union movement.

Gary

Time to include political adverting and politicians in the truth telling process!

Travis

Wow the most dangerous thing to democracy is misinformation. Next minute let’s start spreading misinformation.

L R C

The Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union are not very truthful. What happened to truth telling?

Jackie

Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story. Just goes to show how desperate and scared they are.

Charles

This is now when journalists need to interview each one of these unions and third parties on camera and ask them pointed where do you get your evidence from and when they can’t answer it becomes fodder for ALP and LNP parties campaigns, we need facts not scare. The BS has to stop, journalists, muscle up for all of us please.