Newman gives bizarre excuse for cutting health grants

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PDF printable version of Newman gives bizarre excuse for cutting health grants (PDF 172 KB)

24 September 2012

Health Minister Tanya Plibersek today said she was extremely concerned about the Newman Government’s latest cuts – this time $4.4 million per year in health care grants.

Ms Plibersek added the excuse for making the cuts given by Queensland Health Minister Lawrence Springborg was a bizarre attempt to try and shift responsibility.

“As Australian Government funding increases, Queensland should at least maintain state funding,” said Ms Plibersek.

“It’s not fair to the people of Queensland that the Queensland Government is using increased Commonwealth funding as a weak excuse to cut state health funding.”

“Mr Springborg is not telling the people of Queensland that the Commonwealth has doubled the level of primary health care funding it gives to Medicare Locals.”

“So the announcement today is just a cynical attempt by Campbell Newman and Lawrence Springborg to try and spin their way out of yet another round of funding cuts to health.”

Ms Plibersek said she was extremely concerned about what these cuts could mean to the provision of preventative health and other programs being cut today.

“It appears that the Newman Government is simply washing its hands of the services previously provided by these non-government grant recipients.”

She said the decision by Queensland Health to stop awarding grants to non-government health care providers was being made solely by the Newman Government without consultation with relevant stakeholders such as the Commonwealth Government or relevant Medicare Locals.

“Campbell Newman has had a hit list of organisations he was going to defund since June. To now say these cuts are somehow connected to the Commonwealth is bizarre and just wrong.”

The Gillard Government is investing around $171 million per year for the operation of Medicare Locals, which is more than double the approximately $85 million that was invested annually in the Divisions of General Practice Program – the organisations that have been replaced by Medicare Locals.

In Queensland, this equates to approximately an additional $10.3 million investment in 11 Medicare Locals.

Under the national health reform, states and territories committed to at least maintaining the funding allocations, not use the Commonwealth’s increased investment as an excuse to reduce their own commitment.