Michael Ferguson (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

They’ve got the GST but they also have a plan to build a new hospital in Hobart. It is not costed, but it is a plan nonetheless and we know that they are desperately scrambling to find the funds to pay for it. The Howard government is currently making an intervention into health services in north-western Tasmania—although not in my electorate. Relieving the Tasmanian government of the duty to fund the Mersey Hospital releases immediately at least $40 million per annum, which the state government can now spend on other hospitals.

I am about to make a very important statement. On 1 September the state health minister said to the LGH rally, in recognition of the savings to be made from the Mersey, that not one dollar would be going to the south. On Tuesday of this week the minister broke that promise. Of the $40 million, she has allocated just $4 million to Burnie, just $8 million to the LGH and $8 million to the Royal Hobart Hospital. First of all, an admission that all of the hospitals are underfunded puts the lie to the claim that the hospital system was properly funded and, secondly, it puts the lie to the claim that the funds would be preserved in the north where they are most needed. This minister is incompetent and has been dishonest. It concerns me greatly and I will not give up this fight. As the Examiner editorial correctly says:

It is absolute nonsense for Treasurer Michael Aird to blame the Federal Government ...

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It would also be unacceptable for the State Government to be funding a new hospital in Hobart through cutbacks in services elsewhere in the State.

I thank the House.

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