Senator Eric Abetz

Labor has sunk to a new low today with Prime Minister Gillard again passing the buck on Tasmanian cancer services, laying the blame squarely at the feet of the Tasmanian State Labor Government.

Questioned during her visit to Tasmania today by journalists about Labor’s failure to provide adequate cancer radiation treatment services for cancer sufferers in the State’s North West, Ms Gillard said she was not to blame as, “The Tasmanian Government did not apply for radiation oncology services when they were being sought under the regional cancer services program.”

“Ms Gillard has just confirmed what we knew all along, the Labor Party, both Federal and State, has absolutely no regard for the health concerns of regional Tasmanians,” Senator Abetz said today.

“Once again Labor has completely ignored the needs of cancer patients in Tasmania.”

“And, when questioned about the urgent need for three regional health networks in Tasmania, Ms Gillard again passed the buck and said that’s also a matter for State Labor.”

“Given that neither State nor Federal Labor has done anything to address the needs of cancer patients in Tasmania, one can assume they won’t do anything about regional health networks either,” Senator Abetz said.

“It beggars belief that the Prime Minister could simply ‘jet in’ to Tasmania for a few ‘photo opportunities’ and think she can simply ‘jet out’ again without taking any responsibility for Labor’s failures.”

 “Julia Gillard believes everything that goes wrong is somebody else’s fault and not hers.”