Dr Rosalie Woodruff MP | Greens Health spokesperson
All staff working at Ambulance Tasmania’s State Operation Centre got a letter last night, demanding they pay back a $1000 Covid appreciation payment.
This is devastating for those staff who turned up everyday of the Covid peak. These staff tried every day, every shift to get Tasmanians in desperate need an ambulance in time to save their life.
When the Greens asked the Premier and Minister for Health in Question Time to reverse this direction, he would not. Nor would he apologise for his government’s rank penny pinching, targeting Tasmania’s frontline health workers.
Who decided Ambulance Tasmania staff don’t meet the frontline worker definition? Anyone who has ever called 000 and waited for an ambulance would find that difficult to believe.
This is a stark contrast to the Victorian Government, who are giving their staff a $3000 bonus for the same work. Times couldn’t be tougher, yet the Tasmanian Liberals are demanding repayments from essential workers.
With $300 million dollar public sector cuts, through effciency dividend, in the Budget, is this an example of the way Jeremy Rockliff is planning to scrape together the money for his unwanted stadium? It’s revolting.