Shadow Minister for Health, Bill Yan, says Estimates will be an opportunity for the Opposition and Independent MLAs to shine the spotlight on Labor’s sustained health failures, and for the Chief Health Officer (CHO) to finally detail the “best health advice” to Territorians.
“The Chief Minister, who is also the Health Minister, has refused to allow the CHO to regularly report to Territorians about the advice and evidence provided to government – and how that advice has been implemented by Labor.
“In the last parliamentary sittings, the Fyles government rammed through legislation giving the CHO two more years of unfettered power – despite the public health emergency being scrapped.
“In a state of panic, Labor also enshrined CHO vaccine mandates directions into law – to avoid legal action because the mandates were possibly invalid.
“Meanwhile, Labor voted down the CLP’s legislation to ensure the CHO reports to Territorians, through parliament, every three months.
“The key areas we will be scrutinising Labor on include:
- COVID-19 restrictions and the validity of Chief Health Officer directions;
- Code Yellow bed block and critical staff shortages at Royal Darwin Hospital;
- The impact of widespread cancellations of essential elective surgeries; and
- The closure of remote health clinics.
“We look forward to the opportunity to speak face-to-face with the CHO about the health advice and evidence his office is providing to the Chief Minister – and how she’s implementing that advice,” said Mr Yan.
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