Editorial: Bad things come in threes for Health Minister Tim Nicholls

Health Minister Tim Nicholls inherited a basket case from Labor, but he now faces problems of his own making, writes the editor.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls on Tuesday. Picture: Liam Kidston

No matter what side of politics you’re on, the health portfolio is always a poisoned chalice.

And there is no doubt that minister Tim Nicholls inherited a basket case from Labor.

In particular, the bungled hospital expansion plan that has dominated Mr Nicholls’ time and energy after a report by infrastructure specialist Sam Sangster revealed 14 out of the 15 projects announced by the former Labor government were undeliverable.

Mr Nicholls has also made claims of underfunding and mismanagement across the board since he took over the portfolio last year, and many in the state’s medical profession would agree.

There’s also the corruption probe into the alleged abuse of vulnerable children, and subsequent alleged cover-up, inside the Queensland Children’s Hospital’s mental health unit that went on for years on Labor’s watch.

But Mr Nicholls cannot blame Labor for what happened on Tuesday.

The Supreme Court’s smackdown of Mr Nicholls’ order to freeze the use of puberty blockers and hormones on new patients is his problem alone.

In a landmark ruling Justice Peter Callaghan said the government failed to adequately consult with medical professionals before issuing the initial pause order in January, after a state-run gender clinic treated 42 children without parental consent.

The court had previously been told the only consultation was a 22-minute online meeting, held at the exact time Mr Nicholls announced the ban to media.

Justice Callaghan noted the Health Minister had every right to give the health service a direction if it was in the public interest.

But he said it “must be in writing and published in a way that allows it to be accessed by members of the public”. That didn’t happen.

Would-be chief health officer Dr Krispin Hajkowicz

Put simply – the court doesn’t quibble with the decision, but the way he went about it was unlawful.

The allegations that children were being treated in gender clinics without parental consent are shocking and clearly a government response was needed.

But this was a contentious issue that should have been handled more carefully and with greater transparency.

So too, the failed appointment of Krispin Hajkowicz as chief health officer, which as we reveal today is now a formal investigation by the corruption watchdog after a complaint about ministerial involvement was made by Labor.

Before Dr Hajkowicz’s offer was withdrawn, Mr Nicholls indicated his support for the appointment.

But the fiasco has been another headache for him to deal with, whether it was his decision to withdraw the offer or not.

One of Mr Nicholls’ key performance indicators set by Premier David Crisafulli was to cut ambulance ramping to below 30 per cent by 2028.

A leaked Queensland Health document has revealed a road map to address ramping was due to be completed by July 31 this year – but yesterday, Mr Nicholls was unable to explain where it was.

The Crisafulli government went to the election with a simple agenda focusing on crime, housing and health.

They have set the wheels in motion to fix housing and crime, but it is clear that on health the government is on life support.

GETTING WITH PROGRAM

Well, isn’t this a surprise?

After months of resistance and stalling, tech giants Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat have confirmed that they can indeed comply with Australia’s world-leading social media age limits, and they will.

It’s amazing what the threat of fines of up to $49.5m will do. The fines will come into place from December 10 if the social media platforms do not enforce an under-16 age limit, that came into being after The Courier-Mail’s Let Them Be Kids campaign.

The platforms have confirmed the processes they will use to enforce the ban, including archiving existing content and pausing or deleting accounts of people who cannot verify that they are at least 16 years old. It’s a far cry from what we were hearing from social media companies earlier this year, when they suggested an age ban would be unworkable and, in the words of a TikTok spokesman, “riddled with unanswered questions and unresolved concerns”.

Thanks to an age-verification trial, and the threat of massive fines, the unworkable has become workable. The age ban is coming.

And we should never forget why The Courier-Mail embarked on this campaign. It was for a generation of Aussie kids bullied and belittled online. For those who developed eating disorders. For those who took their own lives.

Social media companies need to make it work. We (and the eSafety Commissioner) will be watching.

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Chris Jones, corner of Mayne Rd & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND (ACN 009 661 778). Contact details here

Originally published as Editorial: Bad things come in threes for Health Minister Tim Nicholls