Editorial: Polling result puts the heat on Fentiman

Five months after Shannon Fentiman’s appointment as health minister, it doesn’t appear to have had the cut-through hoped for by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, writes the editor.

When Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk reshuffled her ministerial team in May as a much-needed circuit breaker, the hopes of the government were put on Shannon Fentiman – who swapped her Attorney-General role with then-health minister Yvette D’Ath.

The health ministry can be a poisoned chalice, and so it had proved for Ms D’Ath – worn down by continued issues like ramping, the state DNA lab shambles, the crisis in maternity care, and the appalling state of Queensland’s only specialist spinal unit.

Ms Fentiman grabbed the opportunity with both hands, quickly embarking on a new era of accountability and openness that has been refreshing and welcomed.

She said in an interview after the reshuffle: “It’s huge and challenging, but it’s also such an opportunity to do good things.”

But fast-forward five months and it seems her appointment hasn’t had the cut-through she and Ms Palaszczuk would have hoped for.

While the messaging has been positive, the problems on the ground in the state’s hospitals continue – problems voters know only too well. The other challenge? That in politics, perception is everything.

And YouGov polling revealed in The Courier-Mail today shows 91 per cent of respondents feel the health situation has either worsened or remained the same since Ms Fentiman took over.

The number of respondents who were “very confident” an ambulance would reach their home within 15 minutes after being called was at just 12 per cent – the same figure we found in the last YouGov poll, in early April., that led to the reshuffle

Further, Queenslanders are still not convinced they would be treated in a “timely manner” when presenting at a hospital – with only 17 per cent “very confident” that would occur – a rise of just 1 percentage point.

It’s bad news for the government but not particularly unexpected – after all, Ms Fentiman was handed the ministerial equivalent of turning around the Titanic … after it had hit the iceberg.

She has tackled the portfolio with enthusiasm, what will really make a difference is facts – data that shows a marked decrease in ramping and emergency department wait times. And the clock is ticking. Along with crime, this is the issue the election in one year’s time will be fought over.

Speaking of crime, Ms Palaszczuk on Sunday came face-to-face with the issue that may well be her undoing.

Visiting the coalface of the issue in Townsville, Ms Palaszczuk met with hand-picked community representatives at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, while outside an anti-crime rally made the anger of real people known.

Thuringowa MP Aaron Harper took a deep breath and addressed the rally, but the cat-calling got too much for him and he ended up calling them an LNP rent-a-crowd.

He also said crime has long been a problem in Townsville – an absolute cop-out. It was a terrible look in a city that will be vital to Labor’s chances next October.

We hope Ms Palaszczuk’s meetings with the community behind closed doors were more productive, but also frank and honest.

Townsville, like much of the state is fed up with recidivist youth crime. If local voters are feeling fobbed off on the issue by a government that has plenty of time to address it, they will take that anger to the ballot box.

KIDS’ HEALTH IS PARAMOUNT

The never-ending battle between doctors and pharmacists has flared up again, with the AMAQ criticising a state government move to allow chemists to administer a wider range of vaccinations to infants.

The government says the move will make vaccinations for illnesses like hepatitis, chickenpox, meningococcal B, HPV, typhoid, shingles and mosquito-borne Japanese encephalitis more accessible across the state, while doctors say it is a step too far.

AMAQ president Maria Boulton said letting pharmacists vaccinate children aged two and older, down from a minimum of the age of five, could lead to missed diagnoses of developmental delays, post-natal depression in parents and family violence risks.

“A childhood immunisation appointment is not just a vaccine appointment – it’s an opportunity to track that a child is growing, assess for any delays in hearing or speech and check in with the parents,” she said.

She has a point, as have chemists, who say greater availability of vaccines will lead to a greater uptake of the jabs.

Clearly there is a measure of self interest for both groups and that is why it is incumbent on the government, now the decision has been made, to monitor the program to ensure the worst fears of doctors – that parents will skip check-ups – do not come to pass.

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: Polling result puts the heat on Fentiman