Better health and ageing for all Australians

Media Releases

Record hospital funding for Queensland

Queensland stands to gain an extra $2.1 billion for its hospitals under the new record hospital funding agreement.

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20 August 2003

Record hospital funding for Queensland

Queensland stands to gain an extra $2.1 billion for its hospitals under the new record hospital funding agreement.

Queensland will receive $8 billion over the next five years for its hospitals. That is a massive 35 per cent increase over the previous hospital funding agreement.

Peter Beattie claims that Queenslanders are losing $160 million. How can an extra $2.1 billion be a loss? He's wrong. Lousy maths, Mr Beattie.

All we are asking is that Mr Beattie puts his money on the table so Queenslanders know how much he is prepared to fund his State's public hospitals over the next five years.

In the past, the States have not been required to declare publicly their hospital funding beyond one year.

This makes planning difficult. It leads to uncertainty. The public wants more transparency and accountability.

The Queensland public has a right to know how much money Mr Beattie will put towards the State public hospitals over the next five years.

Come clean, Mr Beattie. Stop playing politics.

Sign-up to the Commonwealth's record hospital funding deal and match our rate of growth so all Queenslanders can have confidence that their hospitals are being properly funded.

Even if Mr Beattie does not do the right thing by his patients, Queensland will still get more money. If the Premier continues to play politics and does not sign the agreement, Queensland gets an extra $1.24 billion.

But if he does sign the agreement, Queensland gets an extra $2.1 billion.

Come on Mr Beattie - It's time to put your patients first.

Media Inquiries

Randal Markey, Minister Patterson's Media Adviser, (02) 6277 7220