Labor has one simple question to answer about hospitals – will they commit to finding $57 billion to fulfil their unfunded promise? A failure to do so only proves the ALP has no intention of keeping their promise.

For two years straight Labor has dodged this question. This is because Labor knows they have backed themselves into a corner where one-dollar less than a $57 billion commitment will prove their alleged hospital promise to the States and Territories was never fully-funded or affordable. Yet Labor already has a $50 billion costings black hole after spending their ‘revenue’ measures a number of times over and blocking responsible savings measures, meaning they have no money or plans when it comes to funding hospitals.

Therefore, if Labor finally has a plan to fund every-dollar of their unfunded $57 billion hospital promise as they claim, they will be able to simply confirm it today.

While Labor continues with transparent attacks aimed at saving nothing more than their own political fortunes, the Turnbull Government looks forward to holding constructive, rationale discussions with the States and Territories about affordable future hospital funding arrangements that will build on the billions of dollars of additional investment we are already delivering Australian patients.