Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

During question time on Tuesday, I agreed to seek advice from the Minister for Health on whether he'd held certain discussion with his state counterparts. I also agreed to seek advice in relation to Senator Brown's question with respect to South Australia and Tasmania, which I have done. I've been advised that there have been no formal discussions between the minister and his state counterparts in relation to the GST. Commonwealth payments to the states and territories through activity based funding for public hospitals are not affected by changes in the methodology adopted by the Commonwealth Grants Commission in making recommendations on the distribution of GST revenue. Further questions relating to the GST should actually be directed to the Treasurer or his representative in his place.

The Turnbull government is continuing to provide record funding to state and territory public hospitals under the national health agreement. The Commonwealth support for state and territory public hospitals has grown from $13.3 billion in 2012-13 under the former Labor government to $22.7 billion in 2020-21 under the Turnbull government. The Commonwealth funding for public hospital services in Tasmania has increased from $299 million to $441.6 million in 2021, a 47.7 per cent increase over that period. In South Australia, the Commonwealth funding for public hospital services has grown from $1 billion in 2013 to $1.5 billion in 2021, or a 47 per cent increase over this period. Any assertion that there were any cuts is an absolute fallacy.