Scott Morrison and the Federal Liberals must rule out another round of savage cuts to Victoria’s health system, which could see more than $200 million slashed from our hospitals.
Minister for Health Jill Hennessy has written to her Federal counterpart to warn the Federal Liberals against shifting the goal posts and clawing back their fair share of funding to Victoria’s hospitals.
Scott Morrison has form when it comes to short-changing Victorian hospitals. When he was Treasurer, he intervened and interfered with an agreed activity-based funding model that ensures the Commonwealth pays its share.
Mr Morrison’s "audit" meant that services were retrospectively "regraded", and hospitals received less funding from the Commonwealth for services they had already provided, ultimately slashing $104 million from our health service.
Now, a new round of "adjustments" will see the Federal Government immediately claw back $201 million for services already provided over the past three years – and $67 million for every year now on.
Mr Morrison’s looming annual cuts are the equivalent of the total yearly operating budget of Sale or Horsham hospitals, or 12,000 hip replacements, more than 180,000 chemotherapy treatments, or 390,000 dialysis procedures.
Cuts to health are in the Liberals’ DNA. They cut, close and privatise whenever they get the chance, leaving patients worse off.
The Victorian Liberals cut a billion dollars from health when they were last in office. To make matters worse, Matthew Guy is cheering from the sidelines as Scott Morrison threatens to short change Victorian doctors, nurses and patients once more.
As noted by Minister for Health Jill Hennessy
"Scott Morrison stared down the barrel of a camera and told Victorians he’s on their side. He needs to put his money where his mouth is and keep his hands off our hospitals."
"Whether it’s Scott Morrison, Malcolm Turnbull or Matthew Guy here in Victoria, the Liberals can’t help themselves but take an axe to our health system and short-change Victorian families."
"If the Liberals push ahead with plans to claw back millions of dollars from our hospitals, every doctor, nurse and patient will suffer."
