Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, I discussed with you recently the finding by respected health analyst Martyn Goddard that, since 2014, the Tasmanian government has failed to spend on health some $1.6 billion of GST funding earmarked for health. This is obviously no small matter in light of the systemic public health crisis being experienced in Tasmania, nor is it disputed, as a recent AAP FactCheck confirmed that the Tasmanian government has indeed misspent $1.6 billion of federal health funding. Minister, will you hold the Tasmanian government to account for this deadly dereliction of its core responsibility to provide effective health services, and what safeguards will you put in place to prevent this misconduct in the future?

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Clark. We did meet in the last sitting and we have looked very carefully at these matters. Whilst I respect the passion and the focus of the member for Clark, I respectfully disagree on the premise of his question. In fact, on investigation, what I have confirmed is that the Tasmanian government spend on health as a proportion of its budget has increased from 25 per cent to 32 per cent. This makes it one of the highest levels of health expenditure as a proportion of a state budget across the Commonwealth of Australia. But it comes as part of a broader partnership between the Commonwealth and the state of Tasmania, which the Prime Minister, the Treasurer, the Minister for Finance and I have been able to develop.

Tasmania received health funding from the Commonwealth and worked with the Commonwealth in a number of ways. Obviously, there is the GST, which you referenced. Secondly, of course, there is the specific hospital reform agreement. What we're seeing is that Commonwealth funding is increasing from $294 million per annum under the previous government to $424 million this financial year to $524 million by the end of the next financial agreement. In addition to that, what we see is that there are specific partnerships.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Clark on a point of order.

Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of relevance: my question doesn't go to how much is being spent in global terms but specifically to whether or not the GST allocation earmarked for health is being spent in full.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll continue to listen to the minister's answer.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The answer to that question, respectfully, is that the overall Tasmanian funding, which is informed by this variety of sources which go into it, has increased quite dramatically from 25 to 32 per cent. That means that Tasmania's funding is not only up in actual dollars but up in proportionate dollars. It is one of the largest increases in the country and one of the largest proportions in the country.

That brings me to the third area, and that is that there are specific partnerships: the $700-million-plus Mersey hospital agreement which has been injected into Tasmania's funding; the funding which the Prime Minister announced as part of the campaign with the now members for Bass and Braddon, who fought so strongly for $10 million for a mental health facility; the $10 million for an eating health facility; and, in particular, the $34.7 million for increases in emergency elective surgery funding and TAZ Outreach funding. There is $20 million towards elective surgery, as the member for Clark and I discussed recently, of which the first $5 million has already been paid as part of an agreement—something I've discussed with the Minister for Health in Tasmania, Sarah Courtney, as well as with you, Member for Clark. This is as well as the plan to make the University of Tasmania a medical research hub through the Menzies Institute for Medical Research in Tasmania and, from 1 January 2020, the new rural provider number. All of these things come together in what has been one of the most significant increases in actual dollars and proportionate dollars across the Commonwealth.