Dedicated regional health minister not in Labor’s plans, Minns frontbencher says

Questions over whether a Chris Minns government will retain a stand-alone regional health minister — and the effectiveness of one — have been raised by a Labor frontbencher.

A regional health minister is not in Labor’s plans for government if it wins the election, one of Chris Minns’ frontbenchers has declared, despite the party’s health spokesman pledging to implement all recommendations of an inquiry which supports the portfolio.

The stand-alone ministry was established after calls led by The Daily Telegraph’s Bush Summit in 2021.

Ms Aitchison made the stunning admission at a forum of regional MPs on Monday.

“Since the Nationals have taken over and started the regional health portfolio things are not improving,” she said.

Ms Aitchison said that the Regional Health portfolio had created confusion within the department about who is responsible for healthcare in the bush.

Labor frontbencher Jenny Aitchison. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

“It’s just not working,” she said. “We want to have one health system in this state that works it shouldn’t matter what your postcode is.”

She said Labor would not have a stand-alone Minister looking after regional health “at this stage”.

Labor Health spokesman Ryan Park (left) has said Labor would implement all recommendations from a Rural Health Inquiry, including keeping a Regional Health Minister. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer

Pressed on whether would have a regional health minister by moderator, and Sky News’ Andrew Clennell, Ms Aitchison said: “not at this stage, that’s not my understanding of the policy”.

Scrapping the stand-alone minister puts Labor directly at odds with a key recommendation of the parliament’s Rural Health Inquiry, which called for the portfolio to be maintained “in cabinet”.

Opposition Health spokesman Ryan Park has previously pledged that Labor would implement every one of that inquiry’s recommendations.

Asked if Labor would commit to all 44 recommendations from the inquiry, Mr Park said:

“As far as I’m concerned, these 44 recommendations need to be implemented,” he said last year.

Bronnie Taylor was appointed Regional Health Minister following calls from The Daily Telegraph’s Bush Summit in 2021. Picture: NewsWire/ Monique Harmer

Regional Health Minister Bronnie Taylor seized on Ms Aitchison’s comments to say that Labor will ignore the bush.

“Labor is dumping the regional health portfolio so they can say that it’s failed, they want the focus on that, so they can take the focus off what we have delivered in just twelve months,” she said.


“These actions confirm the Regional Health Inquiry was nothing more than a political stunt from a Party that does not care about anyone past Western Sydney..

“You can’t have a single focus on regional healthcare when you are dumping the very thing that gives it a single focus.”

Mr Park did not dispute Ms Aitchison’s comments when contacted.

“We’re focused on health outcomes for the regions as people would expect us to, not ministerial org charts – that’s our primary focus,” he said.

“We will make considered, evidence-based decisions if we win,” he said.

“Unlike the Government we have committed to a dedicated Deputy Secretary for Regional and Rural Health to ensure the health needs of those communities are given the priority they need and deserve.”