On 27 May 2020, our President, Phill Tsingos went public to defend our Rockhampton member who was being thrown under the bus by the Labor Government. It looked like she had defied all common sense and medical advice and returned to work whilst she had COVID-19.
We knew that this wasn't the whole story, there were very significant mitigating circumstances that were not easily explained and we also knew that in defending her, most of our members would initially be unsympathetic to her cause.
Many would accuse us of misallocating your valuable member resources. But our President Phill simply said "She is a member. Yes, it might look like she made a mistake but we exist to look after our members through thick and thin. We will support and defend her as best we can."
Well, Phill was not only right, but he also gave it his all. He bailed up the Labor Government on her behalf and we paid for the lawyers to defend her. Can anyone imagine the QNMU doing that?
Now here is the good news. We have been advised that our member has been completely exonerated.
- At all times she acted under management instructions.
- She breached no workplace protocols.
- She did not cause the death of the young man in Blackwater.
- She did not lie as she was accused by the Deputy Premier.
- She was not reckless and dishonest as accused in the media by the local Labor Member, Brittany Lauger MP.
In short, she was set up for political purposes and made a scapegoat of.
With our nurse now in the clear, NPAQ State Secretary Aenghas Hopkinson-Pearson has written to Steven Miles calling for the State Government to apologise to her.
