Labor is cutting hospital funding and breaking their $57 billion promise, Bill Shorten confirmed tonight.

SALES: The share of that for hospitals is $57 billion, do you yourself commit to restoring that money?

SHORTEN: We have committed to funding the education fully. We’ll unveil our hospital and health policies in coming weeks.

SALES: And will it be $57 billion, that’s what you have been saying for two years?

SHORTEN: We are not going to announce our final number tonight. What I’m going to say…

SALES: Sorry, that’s a pretty core thing. You have been calling on the Government to restore that funding but you’re in the prepared to give that statement commitment yourself?

  • Bill Shorten – 5 May 2016 – 7.30

 

Mr Shorten’s admissions that Labor will not be promising $57 billion for hospitals also confirms reports Federal Labor have been begging their state counterparts to do dirty deals and let them off the hook:

“The Courier-Mail has been exclusively told that Bill Shorten’s team had been meeting Labor Treasurers to determine what health funding “they can live with”, signalling the Opposition will not meet a $57 billion shortfall.” – Courier Mail – Monday April 4 2016

To be clear – any Labor hospitals policy that promises $1 less than $57 billion for hospitals confirms:

  • Labor’s Rudd-Gillard Government hospitals promise was unfunded and unaffordable.
  • Labor’s scare campaigns about hospitals have been exposed as a disgusting and despicable sham targeting the sick and vulnerable for the past two years.
  • Labor States are not prepared to stand up to Bill Shorten and the Federal Labor Party.
  • Labor is cutting hospital funding and breaking their $57 billion promise.

In contrast, the Turnbull Government will invest nearly $18 billion into hospitals in 2016-17.

This includes reaching a fair, sensible agreement with the States and Territories that will see an additional $2.9 billion to help fund their hospitals until 2020, with a focus on improving patient safety and patient outcomes, particularly those with chronic illness.

When it comes to health and hospitals, it’s time for Australians to tell Labor – NO Bill.