NSW Lib Updates

Urgent Cancer Surgery Cancelled At The Last Minute Yet Again
Written by Jillian Skinner MP
A 66-year-old man whose urgent cancer surgery was cancelled at the last minute, is yet to receive a guarantee that his operation will take place as scheduled, Shadow Minister for Health Jillian Skinner said today.

Franco Barbacetto was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on 31 July, and scheduled for urgent surgery to remove his pancreas and part of his stomach on 7 August. After fasting in preparation for his procedure, he was told on the morning of his operation that it was cancelled because there were no beds available.

RIP Beechwood Homes: Company Wound Up - No Money For Creditors
Written by The Hon Catherine Cusack MLC
The Beechwood Homes debacle came to a predictably tragic end today, with creditors being told they would not receive their money and the company was put into liquidation, Shadow Minister for Fair Trading Catherine Cusack said.

“Attending the meeting today with Beechwood’s creditors was like being at a funeral,” Ms Cusack said.

Watkins’ $10M Rail Solution: A Confused Mess
Written by Gladys Berejiklian MP
After spending $10 million of taxpayers money to work out how give train commuters a better service, the best Transport Minister John Watkins can come up with is a confused mess, Shadow Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian said today.

“The Iemma Labor Government is so incompetent it still doesn’t know how it’s going to fix the rail network after 13 years in office and spending $10 million on yet another study,” Ms Berejiklian said.

It's Boots On The Ground That Counts In Trade - NSW Comes Up Empty Handed
Written by Barry O'Farrell MP
NSW Opposition Leader Barry O’Farrell said today the $89,000 Morris Iemma has spent on his latest taxpayer-funded China trip was no substitute for a permanent trade presence in the country.

Freedom of Information data obtained by the NSW Liberal/Nationals, reveals Morris Iemma’s 16-23 May trip to China cost taxpayers $89,002.70. Energy Minister Ian Macdonald’s coinciding 15-26 May trip to Hong Kong, China and Korea cost $27,449.83.

Whole-Of-Government Approach Needed So Kids Don't Fall Through Cracks
Written by Barry O'Farrell MP & Greg Smith SC MP
A whole-of-government approach and intervention is required to ensure young children involved in crime were made aware of the consequences of their actions and were put back on the right track, NSW Opposition Leader, Barry O’Farrell, and Shadow Attorney General, Greg Smith SC, said today.

The call follows the case of a seven-year-old allegedly involved in the stabbing of a teenager in the Hunter.

Wake Up Watkins, Lives Are At Risk: Put A Stop To Systemic RailCorp Corruption
Written by Barry O'Farrell MP
NSW Opposition Leader Barry O’Farrell and Shadow Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian said today ICAC’s second report on its Investigation into bribery and fraud at RailCorp can no longer be ignored by Premier Morris Iemma and Transport Minister John Watkins.

“ICAC has clearly stated commuters lives have been placed at risk because of Morris Iemma and John Watkins' failure to act on systemic corruption at RailCorp,” Mr O’Farrell said.

Waterfall Train Disaster: Five-And-A-Half Years After Crash, Safety Changes Not Finished
Written by Gladys Berejiklian MP
Shadow Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian said today the Iemma Labor Government and Transport Minister John Watkins continued to drag their feet in implementing all the rail safety recommendations following the Waterfall train disaster in 2003.

“The latest independent update on the Iemma Government’s progress in implementing all the Waterfall safety recommendations reveals nine recommendations still remain open, more than five years after the disaster,” Ms Berejiklian said.

Police Numbers Take A Tumble
Written by The Hon Mike Gallacher MLC
Shadow Minister for Police Mike Gallacher said today the Iemma Government has failed to live up to its election commitment of putting more police on the beat, with the latest figures showing a dramatic loss of 884 police officers in the Sydney basin.

“The Sydney basin is covered by 46 Local Area Commands; which at their height in December 2003 contained almost 7,500 officers serving four million people,” Mr Gallacher said.

Iemma's Dithering Costing The State: Tourism Branding Is Eight Years Too Late
Written by Barry O'Farrell MP
The welcome but belated re-announcement to begin a Sydney branding campaign eight years after the Olympics demonstrates the incompetence of the 13 year-old State Labor Government, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O’Farrell said today.

The Brand Sydney campaign was first announced by Tourism Minister Matt Brown back on 10 June 2008.

More...
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