ARNEMAN SHOULD COME CLEAN ON BROKEN HEALTH PROMISES

BEFORE ASKING FOR A DEBATE

BobBaldwin, Member for Paterson has today called on Mr Arneman to come clean on Labor’s broken health promises and explain why the Gillard Labor Government didn’t deliver on its 2007 election promise to deliver 12 Defence Family HealthCare Clinics.

“Just two days before the 2007 federal election, Mr Arneman stood shoulder to shoulder with Joel Fitzgibbon for a photo opportunity and announced that a Defence Family Health Care Clinic would be built in either Raymond Terrace or Medowie,” said Mr Baldwin.

“This promise was supposed to deliver free dental and GP services for Defence families, but immediately after Labor took office it quietly reneged on its promise.

Mr Baldwin also questioned Mr Arneman’s motives for a debate on health, saying it was nothing more than posturing and just another part of Labor’s smoke and mirrors campaign.

“Mr Arneman’s recent media release failed to acknowledge that the Gillard Labor Government had opened only 3 of the original 36 GP Super Clinics and it conveniently overlooked the fact that the previous Coalition Government increased the number of GP training places by 33%,” said Mr Baldwin.

“Instead of re-writing Labor Party media releases, Mr Arneman might instead like to actually talk with those in his community.

“If he understood the Paterson electorate and if he was at all engaged with local health issues he would know that the State Government was already planing to build a Health One clinic in Raymond Terrace.

Mr Baldwin said that he would debate Mr Arneman the day after Julia Gillard debates Tony Abbott in the three debates that Labor promised at the last election.

“If there was to be a debate, Mr Arneman would also have to address the Building the Education Rip-off, the pink batts debacle, Labor’s debt and deficit and Labor’s inaction on roads, crime and mental health.

 “There is no point in having a debate on health if all Mr Arneman is going to do is make promises that he can’t keep, just as he did at the last election.”