Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the much more popular Senator Boswell for his question! This government is committed to improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health as a priority. As we have reinforced through the budget, we are committed to the delivery of effective and efficient health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In 2014-15, more than $920 million will be spent on the provision of Indigenous health programs. Overall funding levels for Indigenous health will continue to grow over the next four years. From 2014-15 to 2017-18, the government will invest $3.1 billion in Indigenous-specific health programs, an increase of over $500 million from under the previous Labor government in 2009-10 to 2012-13.

This government is committed to the development of more sustainable and viable services. Through the budget, we will expand activity in the key areas of child and maternal health and chronic disease prevention and management. These are priority areas to close the gap. We are expanding programs that have demonstrated their effectiveness in improving health outcomes. There is Better Start to Life, with an investment of $94 million to expand efforts to improve child and maternal health, and the expansion of Healthy for Life, with $36 million to an additional 32 Aboriginal community controlled health organisations to improve management of chronic disease. From 1 July 2014, the Indigenous Australians Health Program will be established, consolidating four existing funding streams into one, giving more flexibility and improving outcomes. Unlike the previous government, we are going to take the decisions to direct funding towards efficient and effective health services that ensure real outcomes.