Bill Shorten’s constant claims that hospital funding is being cut exposed as ‘untrue’
BILL Shorten’s claim that hospital funding is being cut can be exposed as untrue with the facts clearly showing more cash is being injected each year than ever before with a record pledge of $28.7 billion in 2024-25.
NSW
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BILL Shorten’s claim that hospital funding is being cut can be exposed as untrue with the facts clearly showing more cash is being injected each year than ever before.
Despite the Labor leader’s almost daily comments that funding has been cut under the Coalition, federal money handed to the states to run hospitals will more than double from $13.3 billion in Labor’s final year of government in 2012-13 to a record pledge of $28.7 billion in 2024-25.
Mr Shorten has already accused new Prime Minister Scott Morrison of slashing hundreds of million of dollars from hospitals and pledged Labor would “reverse the cuts”.
Former PM Malcolm Turnbull has this week described defending the government against Labor’s health funding attacks as being like a game of “whack-a-mole”, having to constantly knock lies on the head.
Labor claims that more than $700 million is being cut from hospital funding between 2017 and 2020.
But data shows it is increasing to the tune of more than $1 billion a year over that period, setting new records for funding.
Labor has based its claim on a pledge made by Tony Abbott during the 2013 election campaign that the federal government would split hospital funding with the states, each contributing 50 per cent.
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But in 2014, the Coalition reneged on this deal and following the 2016 election lowered its commitment to 45 per cent.
Labor now claims that this differences means $715 million has been “cut” from hospital funding despite the fact more money than ever before was being spent on hospitals.
Health Minister Greg Hunt has now proposed to lock in the 45 per cent funding deal for another five years until 2025 — only the Labor states of Victoria and Queensland are holding out.
“Under the Coalition, funding to hospitals and Medicare is at record levels, which is delivering far more free services than Labor ever did,” Mr Hunt said.
“Bill Shorten continues to lie about hospital funding. He simply can’t face the fact that under the Coalition, funding is increasing to record levels. Funding increases every single year, in every state and territory.”
Labor health spokeswoman Catherine King said that Labor would invest an extra $2.8 billion into hospitals over six years to 2025 if elected, which she claims was the amount needed to raise the federal government’s share of funding to 50 per cent.
“In the horror 2014 Budget they tore up that agreement and returned to the old funding model. In 2016 the Liberals returned to activity-based funding — but only to Commonwealth funding of 45 per cent,” she said.
“This is still a cut. The difference between 50 per cent and 45 per cent is $715 million in 2017-20 and $2.8 billion in 2019-2025.”