SCOTT MORRISON LOCKS IN HIS PUBLIC HOSPITAL CUTS
Scott Morrison has locked in his cuts to public hospitals in a too-little-too-late health budget full of reheated “announcements” that don’t make up for six years of Liberal chaos.
As Treasurer, Scott Morrison cut hospitals in every budget he wrote.
And as Prime Minister, he’s locked them in.
This was Morrison’s last chance to finally reverse his savage hospital cuts – and he failed.
Budgets are about priorities. For six years, the Liberals have prioritised an $80 billion tax handout for the top end of town over Medicare, schools and hospitals.
He’s completely out of touch and only cares about the top end of town.
Morrison has refused to restore the $715m he cut from hospitals under the current funding period and he’s persisting with his plans to rip billions more out of hospitals over the next six years.
Patients will suffer because of these cuts as they are confronted with longer emergency department and elective surgery waiting times, or are forced to travel far from home for treatment.
Bill Shorten and Labor will deliver a fair go for Australia by reversing these cuts and making massive new investments with our $2.8 billion Better Hospitals Fund.
And while Labor will always welcome new investments in general practice, this Budget doesn’t come close to making up for the five-year rebate freeze that has ripped $3 billion out of Medicare.
This is a freeze the Liberals first imposed in 2014. Now they’re promising to lift it – matching Labor’s long-held commitment – just six weeks out from an election.
Australians will see this for what it is – a cynical con job.
The rest of the Budget measures are reheated announcements, many of which just match commitments Labor has already made.
The difference is you cannot actually trust the Liberals to deliver on them.
This is the same Government that promised “no cuts to health” – just before it tried to impose a GP tax, make medicines more expensive, cut child dental benefits, cut $57 billion from hospitals and decimate prevention programs.
The Liberals will say anything over the next six weeks to cover up for six years of cuts and chaos in the health portfolio. Their record says it all – they don’t care about health and will always put the top end of town first.
Only Labor can be trusted to fix our hospitals and strengthen Medicare.
WEDNESDAY, 3 APRIL 2019