Page 1511 - Week 05 - Thursday, 7 May 2015
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Mr Hanson: I am asking the question: is it true that health funding from the federal government is going up by billions of dollars a year for the next three years? Is that true or not?
MADAM SPEAKER: What is the point of order?
Mr Hanson: Relevance, Madam Speaker. He is talking about money that never existed. I am talking about real money.
MADAM SPEAKER: If you are taking a point of order you need to be on your feet.
Mr Hanson: Sure. The point of order is on relevance. I am talking about real money, and whether it is true that health funding is increasing, not pretend money that was never in any budget, federal or state.
MADAM SPEAKER: In amongst all of the argument, there was a point of order about relevance. I think Mr Corbell was talking about funding over a long period of time, beyond 2017. I think he was addressing the issue. I think he was being directly relevant to addressing issues in relation to funding. Whether you agree with him is another issue. There is, I might remind you, an MPI during which I am sure you will have a lot of opportunity to ventilate your concerns.
Mr Hanson: Just on your ruling, Madam Speaker, he was talking about funding but not the same funding that was in my question.
MADAM SPEAKER: I cannot direct the minister to answer the question in the way that you want it answered. Do you have anything more to add in your remaining one minute and 28 seconds?
MR CORBELL: I certainly do, Madam Speaker. Mr Hanson may like to be an apologist for the health funding cuts that his federal Liberal colleagues have delivered, but this Labor government will stand up for proper funding for our health and hospital system. We will not stand by idly and apologise for Mr Abbott’s and Mr Hockey’s cuts to our healthcare and hospital systems. Across Australia the cost is $57 billion. Here in the ACT the funding lost over the next 10 years that would have otherwise been delivered under those agreements made between every state and territory and the commonwealth government is in the order of $700 million—$700 million less in health and hospital services that we would have otherwise expected under those funding agreements. So we will continue to make very clear to the federal government that they need to honour commitments made in agreements signed between state and territory governments and the federal government. And let us be very clear: these agreements were not just made with Labor governments; they were made with Liberal governments as well. (Time expired.)
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Fitzharris.
MS FITZHARRIS: Minister, what further funding challenges will the ACT face when the commonwealth moves from activity-based funding to population-based funding in health?
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