Health to be a key battleground in Tasmanian election

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Health is shaping up to be a key battleground in Tasmania's election with both major parties unveiling plans to reform the system. Labor unveiled plans to hire more staff while the liberal party says it will be effectively banning ambulance ramping.

Transcript

00:00 From the paddock to the podium.

00:07 Liberal leader Jeremy Rocklef arrived to his campaign launch in style.

00:12 The Premier who called an election to try and reclaim majority government,

00:17 reminding party faithful that outcome is far from guaranteed.

00:22 We are in a strong position but we're not over the line.

00:27 There's still a way to go for us to be able to restore to Tasmanians

00:32 the stability and the certainty that a majority government delivers.

00:37 Health policy was front of mind, including a plan to establish a team of

00:42 ten rapid response general practitioners that can be deployed to local practices

00:47 when they're needed.

00:49 Perhaps more ambitious was a pledge to ban ambulance ramping.

00:53 Just last month we announced a new protocol mandating a maximum 60 minute window

00:58 for all patients arriving by ambulance to be transferred to the care

01:03 of emergency department staff.

01:05 Well today we're going further.

01:08 We're going to reduce this 60 minute window to just 30 minutes,

01:13 which effectively means we're going to be banning ramping.

01:18 While he addressed Liberal loyalists, Jeremy Rocklef's pitch was to undecided voters,

01:23 those who might not normally vote Liberal.

01:26 Much of his speech addressed cost of living challenges,

01:30 with some policies not too different from what you might see from Labor.

01:34 But a ramping ban is not an idea they share.

01:38 We need to have a comprehensive health policy that resolves this.

01:41 We can't just say ban ramping and the issue will be gone.

01:44 That's not how it works.

01:45 Labor has its own plans to reform the health sector.

01:49 They're fighting for federal money to upgrade the state's hospitals

01:53 and pledging an additional $44 million to recruit and retain more staff.

01:59 Making casual and fixed term employees permanent,

02:02 which will see those 500 workers who are currently on short term contracts

02:07 or in casual, insecure work provided with security finally.

02:11 With less than three weeks to go now, both parties are fielding their ideas for Tasmania's future.

02:17 Some more literally than others.

02:20 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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