Rosalie Woodruff MP | Greens Leader
The Tasmanian Greens are pleased to have received the support of the House of Assembly to establish a Parliamentary Inquiry into ambulance ramping. We thank all state MPs for backing this important move.
With the situation in our hospitals worsening at a rapid rate, patients at greater risk, and healthcare staff under more strain than ever, we need urgent action. We moved for this inquiry because we did not believe the Rockliff Government would do what is needed to reverse the escalation of ramping on their own.
It was disappointing the new Health Minister amended our motion to remove any reference to the term 'ambulance ramping' in the Inquiry’s terms. Despite this attempt to sanitise reality we were glad to see the Liberals didn’t try and stop this inquiry being established all together.
The unanimous support across all MPs for an inquiry into ambulance ramping is a good example of the possibilities for balance-of-power Parliaments to work effectively in the best interests of the Tasmanian community.
With this inquiry now becoming a reality, it’s important to acknowledge all those who have spoken up to help us reach this point. Thank you to the patients, families, paramedics and other health staff who have bravely made their voice heard, and to the organisations and unions who have advocated for years for change – you have made such a difference.
The job of tackling this issue is a big one, but with the establishment of this inquiry there is now a real possibility of a new approach. We look forward to getting on with the job and working constructively towards positive change on this critical issue