Govt accused of wasting dental health money
The Queensland Health Department has been accused of wasting money on an oral health scheme for schools where nothing is happening.
Liberal National Party member for Mudgeeraba Ros Bates said the Government was “wasting money on an oral health scheme which is not achieving and is sitting idle wasting taxpayers’ money.”
She said a leaked email from the Gold Coast director of oral health disclosed there had been “an unacceptable waste of public resources”.
The email from the director said: “We are all aware that activity at some facilities has since been good, some almost nil.”
Health Minister Geoff Wilson did not respond to the specific issue but said Queensland had the best public dental health program in Australia.
“Two million Queenslanders have treatments from this public dental health program every year,” Mr Wilson said.
He said that in the Senate the Liberal National Party had previously blocked $52 million in federal funding for public dental health services for Queensland.