LNP demands Labor release documents over Hospital Capacity Expansion Program

The LNP has demanded Labor release cabinet documents relating to a hospital infrastructure plan deemed ‘deeply flawed’. But the Opposition has hit back, claiming the government is looking for excuses not to keep its own promises.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls with infrastructure reviewer Sam Sangster. Picture: Tertius Pickard

Labor has been ordered to release confidential cabinet documents showing how it came up with Queensland’s now-derailed hospital build program — but has so far refused to hand them over.
The documents relate to the 2022 Hospital Capacity Expansion Program, which infrastructure expert Sam Sangster last week branded “deeply flawed” after revealing projects in the $9.8bn plan were thrown together in just six weeks, with construction delays to stretch years beyond the initial 2028 completion deadline.

The 15 projects, including three new hospitals in Coomera, Bundaberg and Townsville, a Queensland-first Cancer Centre and several expansions have been put on ice while the government redesigns plans in an attempt to avoid cost and timeline blowouts.

It means Queenslanders will not know for at least another six months when their local hospital will be built or how many beds will be added to the struggling health system over the next three years under the LNP.

Labor has asked Tim Nicholls for a timeline after he promised to deliver 2200 new hospital beds during the election. Picture: Tertius Pickard

The Opposition has claimed it planned the $9.8bn worth of hospital infrastructure – now tipped to cost $17bn – to the best of its ability following the pandemic and has called on Health Minister Tim Nicholls to provide Queenslanders a new build timeline after promising to deliver 2200 new beds during the election.
Mr Nicholls in parliament on Tuesday moved a motion to demand Opposition Leader Steven Miles release “all briefing notes, attachments and any other related material” signed off by the former Labor government cabinet relating to the hospital program by 5pm Wednesday.

“They (former cabinet members) are all complicit in the hopes that was Labor’s failed capacity expansion program,” he said to state parliament.

Mr Miles accused Mr Nicholls of using the Sangster report as an “excuse” not to build certain hospitals.

“They went to a consulting firm and said, give us a report that gives us excuses to not build these hospitals,” he said.

“They never wanted to build them. They were never honest with Queenslanders about them, and they’re using the cover of this supposedly independent report to not build them on the time frames that Queensland needs.”

Opposition Leader Steven Miles during question time on Tuesday. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

He attempted to amend the motion to have the parliament acknowledge that Labor had “relied on the best available advice from the Queensland public sector” regarding the plan and that Queensland Health Director General Dr David Rosengren oversaw its development in his former role as Queensland Health chief operating officer.

The amendment was voted down by the majority LNP government.

Mr Dick called the motion a “political stunt”/

“We didn’t support that motion, and we won’t be releasing those documents, and that’s because the principle of cabinet in confidence, the preparation of documents on a cabinet in confidence basis, protects public servants,” he said.

“Remember in the last election, that when the Premier, the then Opposition Leader … issued the LNP health policy. He said it was the most detailed health policy ever taken to an election by an opposition. He said it was, quote, a seismic shift.

“It is a political stunt, and I think the bottom line for Queenslanders now is that the government’s got to stop governing from opposition.”

Originally published as LNP demands Labor release documents over Hospital Capacity Expansion Program