- Minister for Health
Scott Morrison has let Victorian patients down once and for all and blown his last chance to fix the savage cuts to health that are dudding Victorian nurses, doctors and families.
For six years and three Prime Ministers, the Liberals have tried to ram through a dud national health funding agreement that would see our state's hospitals face a combined $2.1 billion cut. Scott Morrison had one last chance to right the wrongs of successive Liberal Prime Ministers and finally make sure the Commonwealth pays its fair share for hospital funding – but he failed.
Currently, the Federal Liberals only fund 45 per cent of public hospital growth – and impose an arbitrary cap, refusing to contribute anything towards growth beyond 6.5 per cent. This fails to meet rising demand in our hospitals and puts extra strain on our hard-working nurses and doctors.
Last night's Budget confirms the Liberals have no plans to back down from their dud proposed agreement – and will go to the election having failed to reach an agreement with the states and territories on a deal that puts patients first.
Scott Morrison has also ignored a groundswell of anger from the states and failed to backdown on a sneaky move to shift the goal posts and claw back funding for services already provided by our hospitals. The claw backs have already seen our hospitals face a combined $305 million hit.
Our nurses and doctors can't provide first-class care without world-class hospitals, but while Victoria is Australia's fastest-growing state, the Sydney-centric Federal Government refuses to fund new hospitals. In fact, the Federal Liberals have contributed just 0.25 per cent of hospital infrastructure projects in Victoria in the last four years.
The Andrews Labor Government is getting on with the job of delivering the biggest pipeline of Victorian infrastructure projects in Victorian history. We invested $3.2 billion in our first term and have another $3.8 billion on the way.
The Andrews Labor Government will invest more than $395 million towards free dental care at all public primary and secondary schools, but until the Federal Liberals reverse their cuts, our dental system will pay the price.
Scott Morrison had one last chance to get it right, reverse the 30 per cent dental funding cuts to improve public dental wait times, but he failed.
It's more proof you can't trust the Liberals when it comes to health, all they do is cut.
As noted by Minister for Health Jenny Mikakos
"This is another Liberal budget that lets Victorian nurses, doctors and patients down."
"Scott Morrison had one last chance to address years of Liberal cuts but he failed. It's proof you can't trust the Liberals when it comes to health – all they do is cut."
