Qld health crisis: Premier hopes federal Labor govt would cover half

Despite Anthony Albanese refusing to commit last week, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is still hoping he will cover half of Queensland’s hospital costs if elected prime minister.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says she’s hopeful federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese will cover half of the state’s hospital bills if he wins government.

As she copped questions over the state of hospital ramping – in which police are also sitting at emergency departments minding mental health patients due to the pressures on health staff – Ms Palaszczuk said she believed a federal Labor government would top up funding to help the states.

That’s despite Mr Albanese refusing to commit to such a policy last week while campaigning in Queensland alongside Ms Palaszczuk.

He said he wanted to be “very measured” in policy proposals given the massive Commonwealth debt.

“But the other thing that we’re doing is being upfront in our discussions with the premiers – we’re not promising things in advance and then we’ll say something different after the election campaign,” he said.

The federal government contributes 45 per cent of hospital funding, but places a cap when growth is above 6.5 per cent.

It’s estimated a 50/50 split between the states and Commonwealth would mean about $1.5 billion a year in extra funds for Queensland.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk with federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese at the Brisbane Labour Day rally last week. Picture: Liam Kidston

Ms Palaszczuk said she’d personally raised the wishes of the states with the federal Labor leader and he was a “good listener”.

“Yes, I do talk to Anthony as much as I possibly can and I have spoken to him directly about the issue,” she said.

“They understand how important it is and the campaign’s not over yet so let’s see what happens.”

She said she was “quite sure they’ll have further announcements to make over the next two weeks”.

“The campaign’s not over,” she said.

“I do know that Anthony Albanese is a good listener and I’m quite sure that he will understand the points of view that we’ve put forward and I’m quite sure we will get more for our state.”

Asked if she was hopeful he’d announce a policy to evenly split health funding with the states by the end of the campaign, the Premier said: “Well, if not by the end of the campaign, very soon thereafter.”

Asked if she had plans for more hospital beds after repeated calls for health bodies and now the Queensland Police Union to roll out more, she said: “There’s a Budget coming in June.”

Originally published as Qld health crisis: Premier hopes federal Labor govt would cover half