Health Royal Commission

Eligibility - Queensland residents
Principal Petitioner:
Robert Messenger
3668 - Lot 7 - Gin Gin / Bundaberg Highway
BULLYARD QLD 4671
Total Signatures - 64
Sponsoring Member: The Clerk of the Parliament
Posting Date: 18/4/2013
Closing Date: 5/8/2013
Tabled Date: 6/8/2013
Responded By: Hon Lawrence Springborg MP on 5/9/2013
TO: The Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland

Queensland citizens draw to the attention of the House - that in relation to Queensland's Health System:

 

1. Health Whistleblowers – former Queensland Police and medical board officer Jo Barber and former Queensland state parliamentarian Rob Messenger made public interest disclosures (105 pages and 3 hours of audio statements) in April and May 2012 which warned "that many different medical practitioners in QLD over many years, have been allowed by all oversight agencies, including the CMC, to practice in a manner, which was grossly incompetent or criminal".

 

2. The Crime and Misconduct Commission's appointed investigator and retired Judge Richard Chesterman wrote of Ms Barber's and Mr Messenger's Public Interest Disclosure in July 2012 "the immediate difficulty in undertaking the assessment was the extreme generality of the assertions and the lack of detail and specificity".

 

3. Premier Newman on 24 July 2012 when questioned about Ms Barber's and Mr Messenger's call for a Health Royal Commission said “Mr Messenger's made wild claims in the past and has made wild claims on this occasion”.

 

4. Health Minister Springborg on 16 April 2013 in response to two further independent reports caused by Ms Barber's and Mr Messenger's Public Interest Disclosure (Hunter - which recommended 6 doctors be investigated for 23 criminal charges - and Forrester) said "These reports paint a deeply disturbing picture of dis-functionality in the handling of health- related complaints".

 

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House pass a motion that calls on the Queensland Government to immediately establish a Health Royal Commission.