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Collapse Issue 416 - 03 Apr 2017Issue 416 - 03 Apr 2017
Collapse  NEWS NEWS
Government to trial cashless kiosk in place of registry
Correa Bay closed after sewage discharge
Ettalong channel not listed in State dredging strategy
Applications for committee membership
Beach could attract disability tourism, says activist
Woy Woy photographer helps discover new spiders
Waste contractor welcomes agreement
O'Neill welcomes garbage agreement
Comment wanted on new housing controls
Vinnies offers no-interest loans in Woy Woy
Scout hall extensively damaged in vandal attack
Peninsula roads summit needed, says Chamber
Minister announces $13M for Blackwall Rd work
By-election on April 8
Candidates' forum in Woy Woy
Church calls for a return to strong classroom discipline
Greens call for faster trains
Labor underpass promises 'unrealistic', say Libs
Unions NSW by-election campaign
Wicks uses parliamentary speech to support Pilon
Environment group adds weekly bushwalks
Lions Club presents indoor bowls mat
Twiners celebrate 67th anniversary
Council 'consults' through website
Peninsula receives highest rainfall in 12 years
Collapse  FORUM FORUM
Stop the fast ferry proposal
Response to fiscal fiasco is unseemly and futile
Not please with Services NSW
Sewage discharge a blow to waterway
Collapse  HEALTH HEALTH
Doctor says he cannot give his practice away
GP 'emergency' is political stunt, says O'Neill
Collapse  ARTS ARTS
Easter book fair held for 41st time
Italian festival to be held in Ettalong
Special screening of the Oyster Farmer
New president for arts and crafts centre
Artists show their work at Pearl Beach
Easter art exhibition
Opera proceeds go to Rotary and youth services
Collapse  EDUCATION EDUCATION
Kiss and drop zone is not for parking
Yarning circle opens with smoking ceremony
Students chosen for dance ensemble
School turns off the power
Feast at Harmony Day
Kindergarten has Fun Day
Successful trivia night
Collapse  SPORT SPORT
Bands support rugby union juniors
Bunnies field A-Grade team in Newcastle League
Woy Woy plays away in rugby union
Braddish wins under-15 ironman event
Primary student chosen to represent Australia
Bowls day raises fund for rugby league charity
Roosters receive $5000 grant
Swimmers compete at Southport
Stableford at Circle Social Golf
Novice bridge championship
Collapse  ELECTION ELECTION
Skyla Wagstaff - Animal Justice Party
Andrew Church - Christian Democratic Party
Abigail Boyd - The Greens
Liesl Tesch - Labor Party
Jilly Pilon - Liberal Party
Larry Freeman - Shooters, Fishers and Farmers

GP 'emergency' is political stunt, says O'Neill

NSW Senator Deborah O'Neill has labelled the declaration of a GP emergency on the Peninsula a "desperate political stunt to sweeten a bitter pill".

Senator O'Neill said the focus of the Federal Member for Robertson, Ms Lucy Wicks, on the shortage of GPs on the Peninsula was to "distract attention from the disaster she and her colleagues have inflicted on the community in the past four years.

"The acute shortage of doctors on the Peninsula and the threat to the health of its people is a crisis of Lucy Wicks and the Liberals making," Senator O'Neill said.

"By Ms Wicks' own admission in her speech to Parliament, the Coalition made the issue part of its Growth Plan for the Central Coast in the lead-up to the 2013 election.

"Lucy Wicks and two Health Ministers have had the chance since 2013 to give the people of the Peninsula the health care they require and done nothing.

"Now she has suddenly decided it's an emergency.

"Essentially, Lucy Wicks has sat on her hands, let a problem become a crisis, then turned the horse around to claim to be the shiny white knight.

"In fact, she is being faced with the terrible impact of her own government health policies."

Senator O'Neill said this would be Ms Wicks' second attempt to fix her mess, with the community's health at stake, with a second health minister.

"Ms Wicks failed last year to persuade the former Minister, Sussan Ley, that there was an acute shortage of doctors on the Peninsula, and that the sick and frail were being turned away from surgeries there.

"On that occasion, Ms Wicks' approaches were rejected by Minister Ley who bluntly stated in a letter dated November 23 last year: 'Woy Woy and the Peninsula are not considered to be districts of workforce shortage'."

Senator O'Neill said this was despite concerned local medical providers, back in early September, making urgent representations to Ms Wicks and the Turnbull Government warning of the shortage of doctors on the Peninsula was nearing critical levels.

"Six months later, that critical level has now been breached," Sen O'Neill said.

"Leaving Ms Wicks' negotiating abilities with her Liberal colleagues aside, what is really at stake here is that the problems on the Peninsula are just a localised symptom of the Liberals' concerted attack on Medicare and the health system, in general.

"The Liberals' freezes, cutbacks and confusion are a key part of what has caused this crisis on the Peninsula.

"It is shameful she has now embarked on a cynical campaign to promote herself as 'the fixer' to the very problem she and the Liberal Government have created. She must think the community is stupid.

"The people of the Peninsula know that on Lucy Wicks' watch they're paying more out-of-pocket health costs than ever and their health is being compromised by her Government's failures."





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