Shadow Treasurer David Janetzki speaks in Townsville on Copperstring and state health crisis

The state’s Shadow Treasurer says he’s committed to helping the hip-pockets of North Queenslanders when it comes to healthcare, as a local GP addresses the cost of living pressures hitting small practices.

Townsville GP Dr Naomi Gleadow at Cranbrook Medical with LNP Shadow Treasurer David Janetzki and Mundingburra, Thuringowa and Townsville candidates Janelle Poole, Natalie Marr and Adam Baillie. Picture: Evan Morgan

The state’s Shadow Treasurer says he’s committed to helping the hip-pockets of North Queenslanders when it comes to healthcare, as a local GP addresses the cost of living pressures hitting small practices.

David Janetzki stopped by Townsville on Tuesday to also address the current state of the healthcare crisis, with local GP owner and operator Dr Naomi Gleadow saying the cost of living crisis was affecting both medical centres and patients.

Mr Janetzki said healthcare was the “primary objective” of the LNP’s Right Plan for North Queensland.

The LNP are saying they will put an end to Labor’s proposed ‘patient tax’, with Opposition Leader David Crisafulli saying in September that he would exempt GP’s from payroll tax which would begin on July 1, if the LNP come into power.

LNP Shadow Treasurer David Janetzki (front) with Townsville GP Dr Naomi Gleadow and LNP Mundingburra, Thuringowa and Townsville candidates Janelle Poole, Natalie Marr and Adam Baillie at Cranbrook Medical. Picture: Evan Morgan

During the leaders’ debate, Steven Miles accused Mr Crisafulli of ‘making things up’ amid a heated exchange over a payroll tax issue involving GPs, saying there was no such thing.

“We know that we’ve got all kinds of pressures across the health system with ramping, elective surgery wait times,” Mr Janetski said on Tuesday.

“Right now we can’t afford for emergency department presentations to increase and bulk billing to decrease. We have a health crisis in Queensland.

“We need to make sure that we’re working in a co-ordinated and collaborative way in general practice to put downward pressure into this health crisis.”

Owner of Cranbrook Medical for four years, Dr Gleadow said many general practices in Australia were privately-owned mum-and-dad practices with a “very small” margin for profit.

“It’s getting smaller as cost of living increases,” she said.

Townsville GP Dr Naomi Gleadow at Cranbrook Medical. Picture: Evan Morgan

“Our expenses here at Cranbrook have gone up 20 per cent in the last 12 months.

“Here we have long waits and we often have the pressures on the day to day, sort of acute presentations.”

Dr Gleadow said with many people not visiting the doctor due to costs and loss of trust they will be seen, people in high risk populations should make sure they are getting regular check-ups.

“Over 50s should be getting an annual screen or annual check-up every year, these things aren’t happening,” she said.

“Low socio-economic, men over 50 don’t get check-ups and so what happens is there are delayed presentations and they don’t feel comfortable seeing doctors.”

Speaking on the LNP’s push to abolish payroll tax, Dr Gleadow said she wanted to keep doing what she loves without fear of cost pushing her out of the industry.

“My point of view, my husband and I sat down and thought about it, we looked at either selling or closing up. That’s how serious it is,” she said.

Speaking on the issues of costs, Dr Gleadow said she wouldn’t want to put the pressure of added costs onto patients.

“The only way that we can absorb the payroll tax is by passing it on, unfortunately to our patients, and we don’t really want to be doing that,” she said.

Future of Copperstring project

During his visit to Townsville, Mr Janetzki also pledged to commit to the Copperstring 2032 project if elected, saying it’s a “fundamental project for the development of the North”.

He said despite the blowouts the LNP would be ‘dedicated’, if government changes, to deliver the project.

“It would be a privilege for us to get the opportunity to govern and deliver a project like Copperstring and we would be doing everything we could do to deliver that on time and in budget,” he said.
“I’m excited about the possibilities that lie in store and everybody I’ve spoken with across government and in the private sector, back in Copperstring and we intend to get the job done.”