United Voice

More than 100,000 voters in key Liberal held marginal seats will receive an automated voice phone call this evening, as a part of the growing In Public Hands anti-privatisation campaign.
In Public Hands is being run by the LHMU and Health Services Union to fight State Government moves to privatise essential services in WA hospitals.
Premier Colin Barnett announced last week that Serco was the State Government’s preferred choice of company to provide key services at Fiona Stanley Hospital.

Fiona Stanley Prison?
Serco is the overseas-owned company that manages Australia’s struggling immigration detention centres and private prisons.
Dave Kelly said,Western Australians would be shocked to learn that their new tertiary hospital was going to be managed by a company that managed Australia’s immigration detention centres and private prisons.
“Colin Barnett says our detention centres are poorly managed, but now the Premier wants the company that runs them to run services in our hospitals,” Dave Kelly, LHMU Secretary
“What is the Premier thinking?”
“Western Australians expected Fiona Stanley Hospital to be a first class, publicly run hospital and it is becoming clear that the Premier has a very different vision.”
The automated voice recording will be broadcast to voters in the State Government held electorates of Riverton, Jandakot, Southern River, Wanneroo, Mount Lawley and Swan Hills.  The message will be from LHMU members Cathy Czerniak, an enrolled nurse at Royal Perth Hospital.  The recording will also be run as an advertisement in an extended radio campaign, commencing Sunday.

Privatisation has failed in the past
“I was there when the last Liberal Government privatised cleaning services at Royal Perth hospital, which resulted in a massive superbug outbreak and cost $2.1million to clean up,” Ms Czerniak said.
“Now Mr Barnett wants to privatise cleaning, sterilisation and a load of other services at Fiona Stanley Hospital and get the company that is already struggling with our immigration detention centres to do the work.
“Western Australians expected a lot better at Fiona Stanley Hospital”
LHMU Secretary Dave Kelly said Mr Barnett was misleading the Western Australian public over his privatisation plans.
“Colin Barnett is a clever politician that many of us believe because he has been around a long time,” Mr Kelly said.
“However, Mr Barnett has a habit of saying one thing and doing another.
“He will say that his government is not privatising services and will use words like ‘innovative procurement solutions’ to try and bamboozle the public.  That is the sort of thing clever politicians say to keep the public from knowing what they are actually up to.
“Serco has no place in our public hospitals and we will continue campaigning in the State Government’s marginal electorates until the government drops its privatisation plans or is booted from office, whichever comes first.”
For more information about Serco, visit www.fionastanleyprison.com