First climate change deniers, now health and ageing deniers

Deputy Premier and Minister for Health
The Honourable Paul Lucas
11/03/2010
First climate change deniers, now health and ageing deniers

The Liberal National Party of climate change deniers has become the party of health and ageing deniers, Queensland Deputy Premier and Minister for Health Paul Lucas said today.

Mr Lucas said comments by Queensland Liberal National Infrastructure and Planning spokesman David Gibson and Senator Barnaby Joyce showed just how out of touch the Liberal Nationals had become.

Mr Gibson told a Sunshine Coast community forum last night it never ceased to amaze him "when I listen to the baby boomers who are just incredibly selfish in expecting that other generations will pay for their retirement".

He went on to say, "we have a situation here where we have a generation that has paid their taxes, and I'll accept that, but has done nothing to prepare themselves for retirement".

Further, Federal National Party Senator Barnaby Joyce told a radio program the only reason health spending would ever rise in the future was because of "Labor profligacy".

"Cl early these National Party deniers have not read Federal Treasury's Intergenerational Report which clearly indicates by 2050 the population over 80 will quadruple and the population over 65 will double," Mr Lucas said.

"This will place an ever increasing burden on our health system - meaning governments will need to spend more, not less.

"That's why Kevin Rudd's National Health and Hospitals Reform Agenda is such an important opportunity," he said.

"It's not the baby boomers' fault they had no compulsory superannuation until a Federal Labor Government provided it.

"It's not the baby boomers fault that the population is rapidly ageing.

"The debate we must be having is how we can best provide for the increasing health needs of all the community by doing things better and more efficiently.

"But make no mistake, as the population ages rapidly, health costs will continue to skyrocket.

"In Qld alone we have employed 12,600 mo re doctors, nurses and allied health professionals since 2005.

"And we have more than doubled our number of interns from 250 in 2005 to 556 this year.

"My message to Tony Abbott and his state Liberal and National counterparts is to stop being health and ageing deniers, stop blaming people for getting old, and start working with Kevin Rudd and state governments to equip the health system to meet future demands."

Permanent Link: First climate change deniers, now health and ageing deniers
Publish Date: 11 Mar 10