News and Media
Independent Candidate Suzie Holt asks hard questions about health funding at Budget breakfast
Independent Candidate Suzie Holt today attended Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce’s Budget Breakfast at Oaks Hotel Toowoomba.
The event featured a presentation on the implications of the Budget by William Laird, Director of the Business Advisory division of RSM in Toowoomba followed by a panel discussion with Mr Laird, Mayor Paul Antonio and Ali Davenport, CEO of TSBE, moderated by journalist Caitlin Crowley.
A major topic of discussion at the breakfast was the Federal electorate of Groom being a “safe seat” for the LNP, with funding for important infrastructure at both the state and federal levels being influenced by whether a seat is considered “marginal” or “safe” for a particular political party.
Ms Holt asked the panel about the loss of funding in the Budget for health in Queensland and the prospects for funding for the new public hospital for Toowoomba, which has been spoken about for a long time but has yet to get any commitment from state or Federal governments for it to move ahead.
Mayor Paul Antonio was blunt in his answer, blaming “pure, unadulterated politics” for the lack of government funding for a hospital. He elaborated that the extremely marginal state seat of Bundaberg, where the ALP member won the seat by only 9 votes, got a hospital over Toowoomba, which is held at a state level by two LNP Members of Parliament.
Caitlin Crowley wrapped up the event by expressing dismay that we have a state of politics where it is well known and accepted that funding delivery will be dictated by whether an electorate is marginal, rather than whether it is the most in need.
Reflecting on the event, Ms Holt said “This is why I am running as an Independent Candidate for the seat of Groom – I believe in people, not parties. As an Independent I can and will work with all levels of government to secure what we need for our region, particularly in the area of health care.”
Independent Candidate for the Federal seat of Groom.
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