He said it was an offer that would leave hundreds of long stay patients, aged care and younger NDIS patients longer in Queensland hospitals. He said 1126 long stay patients were in acute hospital beds, which should be taken care of by the federal government.
That was the equivalent of removing the largest hospital in the state entirely from service every day, he claimed. He said that was more beds than major hospitals such as Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Gold Coast University Hospital, or Princess Alexandra Hospital had.
“It’s not a deal I’m willing to take. We won’t accept it, what’s on the table at the moment. And we will not allow the Commonwealth to short change Queensland’s health system and walk away from the things they’re responsible for,” he said.
Premier David Crisafulli.Credit: Jamila Filippone
“It means vulnerable people who need tailored care are stranded in hospital beds waiting for access to long-term care that they desperately deserve because federal Labor will turn a blind eye.”
Earlier this year, the Premier noted their Italian heritage and told a press conference there was “nothing that can’t be solved over a bit of common sense and a cannoli”.
“We’ve proven our ability to work across the political divide to put Queenslanders first, but Canberra’s behaviour on this has to be called out. It’s left a sour taste in Queenslander’s mouths,” he said on Sunday.
“So we’re going to park the cannoli diplomacy for a while, and we’re going to get what Queenslanders deserve, and that’s fair funding.
“Today I’m firing the starting gun to help these stranded patients and get the hospital beds our state needs.”
Crisafulli’s comments join that of other state leaders who have previously threatened to hold up the major NDIS reforms unless the federal government stumped up billions more for hospitals.
In recent weeks, state and territory chiefs have accused the Albanese government of shortchanging Australians tens of billions of dollars in health negotiations. They warned the gap would jeopardise hospital services, and states would be worse off under plans to take pressure off the NDIS.
In a wide-ranging speech, Crisafulli touched on his government’s work on Daniel’s Law, the partnership with the United States to fix the backlog within the state’s DNA lab, the need to address the “lawlessness” of the CFMEU, and efforts to build social and affordable housing.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Queensland Premier David Crisafulli sign a public school funding agreement at Parliament House in March. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
He described his government’s work as not “screaming from the sidelines” but instead “just calmly doing what needs to done”. He pointed to how the government had turned around the “fear and embarrassment around the Olympic and Paralympic Games”, and to other work, such as $80 million for critical water infrastructure upgrades as “real results on the ground” and “not ideological naval gazing”.
Touching on energy, Crisafulli said while Energy Minister Chris Bowen “yells and screams about the end of the world” and the debate rages over what future energy looks like, he praised Queensland Treasurer David Janetzki, and said prices would be kept down by extending the life of the state’s coal-fired power.
“That’s doing what’s needed, that’s common sense, no yelling, no screaming, just a practical way to make sure that energy is affordable, reliable, and sustainable. Doing what is needed, with or without Canberra,” he said.
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