13 Sep SICK JOKE: GOVT EVICTS REMOTE PATIENTS FROM CHEAP MOTELS

Katter’s Australian Party Leader and Member for Traeger Robbie Katter MP is demanding answers amid fears the State Labor Government is punishing sick rural Queenslanders to buy inner-city votes by cleaning up homelessness on Brisbane streets.

Community group Breaking Down the Barriers for Rural Patients in City Hospitals accused the Government of “robbing Peter to pay Paul” by buying up motels and apartments that directly billed Queensland Health for rural patients travelling under the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme (PTSS), and repurposing them into housing for the homeless.

Mr Katter said it uncovered the Government’s manipulation of prioritising Brisbane’s homelessness problem over the plight of sick rural Queenslanders.

“This accommodation saves rural patients upfront costs and provides a room close to hospital for often very sick and elderly people who have travelled hundreds of kilometres, and it is not the responsibility of sick rural Queenslanders to sort out the Government’s mess in Brisbane,” Mr Katter said.

“The Brisbane-centric Government has had years to find solutions to its very unfortunate homelessness problem, but has at the last minute decided to disadvantage very ill rural patients in order to buy themselves inner-city votes for cleaning up the streets of Brisbane.”

Mr Katter demanded the Government verify and explain any change to affordable and convenient accommodation options for rural patients forced to leave their homes and travel vast and tiring distances for treatment they couldn’t receive in their communities.

It comes just months after Mr Katter called for the public release of a Queensland Health administrative review into the PTSS.

“What makes this an even harder kick in the guts is that earlier this year, I called for the review to be released to help explain the disappointing decision to not increase the daily subsidy rate in the 2024-25 state budget,” he said.

The review was ordered by the Health Minister to prove the Government’s commitment to ensuring the PTSS adequate supported rural patients.

“What a sick joke that the Health Minister made these lofty claims of caring about sick people in the bush when she obviously relied on information in that review that I’m sure didn’t paint a very nice picture of how we are treated in the North,” Mr Katter said.

“And to now be allegedly taking away directly subsidised accommodation options for these remote patients – it’s completely unacceptable.”

Breaking Down the Barriers for Rural Patients in City Hospitals founder Justine Christerson said she was “so damn angry”.

“I’m angry with the Queensland ALP Government. It seems like they’ve gotten the list of all the accommodation centres who provide accommodation for rural patients … and have purchased those buildings to help out with homelessness,” she said in an online video.

While she supported action to reduce the homeless problem, Ms Christerson questioned why, of all the options, the Government was choosing to take away subsidised accommodation for patients forced to travel for medical care.

Mr Katter’s office has requested a response from the Department of Health.

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