News
Federal Budget Reveals The Use By Date of Dual Public Hospital Funding |
| Spokesperson: | Catholic Health Australia |
| Date: | Wednesday, 10 May 2006 |
| Category: | Community Health |
| ‘Last night’s federal budget bypassed increasing public hospital funding despite the widespread public angst over waiting lists and hospital conditions,’ CHA’s CEO Francis Sullivan said. ‘In a budget pitch to enhance the medium term prospects for Australia the most glaring omission was a concerted strategy to bolster the public hospital system.’ ‘Let’s be very clear, giving people tax cuts does help them with discretionary spending, but it does nothing to improve hospital efficiencies and capacities.’ ‘It is too easy for the Commonwealth to wash their hands of this responsibility by pointing to existing funding arrangements with the states and territories.’ ‘The Commonwealth collects taxes and has an on-going responsibility to invest across the economy including in the public hospital system. ‘Until the financing responsibility for public hospitals rests with the level of government which raises the tax revenue, the public hospital system will remain captive to the whims of the Commonwealth and the precarious nature of provincial government finances.’ ‘It’s time for one level of government to responsibly protect and enhance the public hospital system.” Catholic Health Australia represents the largest grouping of non-government health and aged care providers. |
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