Editorial: Health, mental health funding welcome, but where’s the vision

Funding for mental health and a commitment to new hospitals is welcome – but building schools and health facilities where they are needed is just core business. Where was the vision in this week’s state’s budget?

It was in this column on November 29 last year that we called on the Palaszczuk government to respond to the state’s mental health crisis with a review of services followed by an immediate injection of dedicated funding to address the issues.

Yesterday, following a full parliamentary inquiry prompted by that call, Treasurer Cameron Dick announced a plan to pump $425m each year into the state’s mental health services – and paid tribute to The Courier-Mail’s “advocacy journalism” as the catalyst for his decision.

“I don’t agree with everything The Courier-Mail says … but they were very clear in their advocacy, there was an editorial that called on us to do that, on top of news articles,” Mr Dick said. “And that’s why we delivered – a dedicated stream of funding for mental health, a levy was introduced and that money will be ring-fenced.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Treasurer Cameron Dick shake hands after Mr Dick handed down the 2022-23 state budget. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

“So that money will always be used for mental health in Queensland and the weakest, most vulnerable people in our community – and their families who live with the challenge of mental illness – they deserve that money, and we will provide that up to $425m a year, the single biggest investment in mental health and I’m proud to have delivered that.”

We thank the Treasurer for sharing the credit, and welcome it on behalf of all of those who are facing mental health challenges. Well done to him for listening to the cries for help that we just amplified in our series of reports, that we called “Through the Cracks”.

We also point out that nowhere did we suggest a new tax be imposed to fund the additional assistance. And by doing so, Treasurer Dick created a headache for himself yesterday as he and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk tangled themselves up trying to argue that the new tax on big business to fund mental health and an increase in coal royalties to pay for new hospitals in the regions were not inconsistent with when the Treasurer said before the last election: “We have no intention of increasing taxes, we’re not increasing taxes – I don’t know how many times I’ve got to say it, there will be no new taxes under the Labor Government if we’re re- elected … full stop.”

Yesterday the Treasurer said “the people of our state knew what I was saying when I said that” as he and the Premier went on a bizarre rather-Orwellian series of tortured explanations for why they had broken a clear promise.

That unfortunateness aside, another good thing in this budget is the cash for health – primarily to fund new hospitals and upgrades to existing ones that have already been announced. This is all welcome of course. But the challenge for the government will be that building a new hospital takes time, and the government is under pressure now as emergency departments are being overwhelmed almost daily. Genuine health crises never tend to end well for the incumbent. More must be done, and there was very little in this budget that will fix those real issues in the short term.

The government does, however, have time on its side – with its successful referendum on four year-terms the year after it won office meaning there is still a full two years before the MPs even need to think about starting to campaign for the next election, that will be held on October 26, 2024.

This, then, should be the year in the cycle where the government gets on with taking some risks and delivering on its vision – knowing it still has a runway until the election. Sadly, however, this is a government that continues to be a vision-free zone. Building hospitals and schools where there is demand? That’s not vision. That’s just core business.

It’s strange, because you would think that after all the years of hard work it takes to win a seat in the state parliament and then an election so you end up actually in power you would be gagging to make the most of the fleeting few years you have at the top.

But no. Palaszczuk government ministers seem intent to just tread water and enjoy the trappings of office while a lucky few who have managed to attach themselves to the Labor Party make a personal fortune trading off the access those actually in the Parliament grant them. It’s all pretty sad really.

And when you have a quarter of a million staff at your disposal, you would hope you do not have to rely on three days of reporting by your state’s newspaper for your best idea. And yet here we are.

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Chris Jones, corner of Mayne Rd & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND (ACN 009 661 778). Contact details are available at www.couriermail.com.au/help/contact-us