Rosalie Woodruff MP | Greens Health spokesperson
The combined effect of the Federal and State Liberal governments has meant a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars from Tasmania's health system.
The Federal government’s own estimates are that Tasmania will be taking home at least $52M less a year from 1 July 2017. The State Liberals have cut $160M since they came to office.
The “new spends” in health that Minister Ferguson proclaims are just the result of shifting money sideways. This goes a long way to explain why our hospitals are in crisis.
Minister Ferguson tries to peddle the myth that the health system is a bloated problem that can never be solved, but a huge part of the problem are his own government's cuts.
In 2011, the Gillard Government signed up to the National Health Reform Agreement, which meant the Commonwealth would fund half of all state health costs. The federal Abbott Liberals tore that up in 2014, and now Prime Minister Turnbull seems to be proposing to take out yet another $400M nationally.
Tasmania will be the sorest losers under Turnbull’s model, because our population growth is low and our hospital demand is growing at about twice the national average. We are older, sicker and poorer on average than the big states.
Minister Ferguson and the Premier need to stand up for Tasmanians now and do whatever they can to reverse the Liberal Health gouge.