[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Health Minister in Hospital Spin_C O'Connor MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

HEALTH MINISTER IN HOSPITAL SPIN

Cassy O'Connor MP
Health Spokesperson

Friday, 1 August 2008
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today accused Health Minister Lara Giddings of
deliberately misrepresenting the Greens' position on a site for the new
Hobart hospital to disguise the fact that the government has lost the
support of the community for locating the hospital on Hobart's
waterfront.

Greens Health spokesperson Cassy O'Connor MP said that the Greens have
always believed that other sites should have been assessed, and have
said so many times in the past.

"This is classic spin from a Minister who has lost the support of the
community on her handling of this issue."

"Ms Giddings should concentrate on ensuring that the hospital is built
on the correct site rather than rewriting history to get her off the
political hook she is on.

Ms O'Connor said that the Greens have always said that the government's
focus was too narrow, that it had ruled out potential sites that should
have been assessed, and that the Greens' current position is entirely
consistent with what it has always been.

"The Greens do not oppose a new hospital, in fact the new hospital was a
Greens' proposal later adopted by Labor."