Below is a letter member for Murray Adrian Piccoli sent to The Area News following the NSW Premier’s visit to Griffith to announce $35 milllion funding for Griffith base hospital.
ADRIAN PICCOLI’S LETTER TO THE AREA NEWS EDITOR (published July 3)
The criticism and disrespectful language towards the Premier in your editorial and front page story on Friday 30th June 2017 regarding the Griffith base hospital and her visit was some of the most disappointing journalism I have ever seen.
Your paper has tried to find a negative angle to the announcement where there is none. Let me step out the process clearly for your newspaper.
1. Government departments, including health, constantly do costings and planning for potential projects including the redevelopment of Griffith hospital. 2.The Government then announces the construction of projects with an estimated costing. This then becomes official Government policy i.e. Wednesday’s announcement. 3. Health infrastructure then do further detailed planning that goes into the final design and construction. 4. Builders are engaged and the project begins.
These steps do take some time but this is exactly the same way that every public works project gets funded and built in NSW. I don’t think I can make it any simpler and clearer. This is an announcement the hard working hospital staff and vast majority of the community think is fantastic.
For the newspaper to suggest “that Griffith remains where it was before the Premier galloped into town this week on the back of her golden chariot” is cynical and uninformed journalism at its worst.
It was an honour to have the Premier visit Griffith last week, but when she reads what the newspaper said about her, some would wonder why the Premier would want to come back to Griffith.
I am only sorry the Premier left Griffith that day – a community that now has $35 million for the hospital, $25 million for its high schools, $5 million for the completion of the southern bypass road and $4 million for the ambulance station – thinking none of the effort was appreciated.
I have since spoken to the Premier and told her that the negative views of this newspaper are not shared by the Griffith community.
Adrian Piccoli MP
Member for Murray
