[Greens-Media] Qld Greens media release: Beattie fails to act against another dangerous doctor

[Qld Greens Media]

Queensland Greens
MEDIA RELEASE
Monday 21st August 2006

Beattie fails to act against another dangerous doctor

Months after being made aware of the prospect of dangerous doctors
being re-registered to practice medicine, the Beattie government has
still not introduced legislation to stop this happening.

James Samuel Manwaring was re-registered in early July despite
receiving a sentence of five years for rape and other serious offences
and twice being struck off the medical register for illegal drug abuse.
He was sentenced to jail after pleading guilty in late 2002 to rape,
attempted rape, deprivation of liberty and assault. His wife at the
time suffered serious injuries.

Premier Beattie was made aware by Manwaring's victim of the likelihood
of this happening and, despite indicating his alarm, did not introduce
the necessary amendment to the Health Practitioners Act to prevent
it happening.

Greens lead spokesperson Juanita Wheeler said Mr Beattie should explain
why the people of Queensland should now have to deal with the prospect
of a violent offender who has been struck off the medical register for
serious drug offences being allowed to practise medicine in the state.

"The people of Queensland should be able to visit their local GP or
doctor without having to wonder whether they are visiting a serial
drug abuser, convicted rapist or wife basher," Ms Wheeler said.

Ms Wheeler said the Labor party's announcement that they would set
up a stand-alone Medical Board was insufficient to address the issue.

"The setting up of a stand-alone Medical Board with a Police
representative will not do anything about Dr Manwaring and others
like him.

"The people of Queensland want to know that legislation is in place
to prevent the Medical Board from registering convicted rapists
and violent criminals as medical practitioners in this state," Ms
Wheeler said.

Ms Wheeler said public concern over the latest incident in Rockhampton
of a convicted rapist gaining Medical Board registration highlights
the need for urgent action to be taken.

"People were appropriately alarmed to know that a Rockhampton doctor
who received a six-month sentence for rape 25 years ago had received
medical board registration.

"The knowledge that the Beattie government knew about the
re-registration of an entirely different rapist, wife basher and
serial drug offender months ago and have done nothing to prevent
this occurring in the future should sound alarm bells for all
Queenslanders," Ms Wheeler said.


*-ENDS-*

For further information please contact:
Juanita Wheeler
Candidate for Mount Coot-tha
Spokesperson, Queensland Greens
Mobile: 0402 487 110

-- 
<http://www.qld.greens.org.au/>
State election Spokesperson. Juanita Wheeler 0402 487 110
Queensland Greens media spokespeople.
Climate Change and Indigenous. Drew Hutton 0428 487 110
Human Rights and Environment. Juanita Wheeler 0402 487 110
Transport and Planning. Greg George 0424 725 719

Queensland Greens campaign coordinator.
Ian Gittus 0422 542 370
Office 3846 0862
fax 3844 4654