Protest against hospital privatisation

By Sue Bolton MELBOURNE — "Our health, our hospital, our decision" was the lead banner of 100-strong protest of Latrobe Valley residents who came to the city on October 26 to show their opposition to hospital privatisation. The action, organised by the Save Moe Hospital Group and the Traralgon and District Hospital Support Group, was called in response to the state Liberal government's decision to close down both these hospitals and call tenders for a privately-owned and -operated hospital. Health minister, Marie Tehan, only publicly announced the government's plans on October 11, although it had not hidden its privatisation agenda. One of the protest organisers, Kevin Taylor said, "We want our two existing hospitals to be upgraded. We don't want a new hospital". Taylor pointed out that the Moe Hospital was only 20 years old, and Traralgon Hospital had just spent $5 million on new operating theatres. One protester, a retired State Electricity Commission worker, said that workers had paid for the Moe hospital — from their taxes and by having money taken out of their pay packets. Several wards were built purely with money from SEC workers. Jan Armstrong, state secretary of the Health Services Union, and John Thwaites, Opposition spokesperson on health also addressed the rally. Jan Armstrong pledged HSUA support for "any campaign against closing down the public hospitals, including industrial action". John Thwaites pledged ALP opposition to the privatisation of the Latrobe Hospital. However, in response to a challenge from a former-SEC worker, Thwaites admitted that if the hospital was privatised before a Labor government was elected, it wouldn't reverse it. Speakers stressed that the campaign could not trust either major party given that the hospital "rationalisation" in the Latrobe Valley was started by Labor and continued by the Liberals.