❓ Mr. Ripper questions whether budget cuts in the Department of Health contributed to a specific set of circumstances. The Minister refutes this, stating the overall health budget increased by 5.9% despite efficiency measures.
AnsweredQoN 643Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MR NILS
GRIMLEY
643. Mr E.S. RIPPER to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question. Is it the case that budget
cuts in the Department of Health have contributed to this set of circumstances?
GRIMLEY
643. Mr E.S. RIPPER to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question. Is it the case that budget
cuts in the Department of Health have contributed to this set of circumstances?
AnswerView source ↗
Obviously that is a nonsense
question. The total health budget has actually gone up 5.9 per cent. While
there have been cuts to reduce some of the overexpenditure that occurred on the
previous government's watch, when huge amounts of money were going into
the public service with very little control, there has been, despite those
cuts, a 5.9 per cent increase in the health budget. With that increase we are
becoming more efficient, as all government departments need to do, to cope with
the international crisis and the international reduction in funds that all agencies
have to manage. Health has still received almost 26 per cent of the state
budget and the same effort is being applied in this government's time
in office as it was in the previous government's. That does not mean to
say that in individual instances when, for which the management is the
responsibility of a group of people, things cannot go wrong. It sounds in this
instance as though something has gone wrong, but that has absolutely nothing to
do with the three per cent cuts. The three per cent cuts have gone and are
forgotten. We have a 5.9 per cent increase in budget. In health we have more
money, but we also have a lot more responsibilities. We have to make sure that
we spend that money efficiently and in the best interest of the taxpayers.
question. The total health budget has actually gone up 5.9 per cent. While
there have been cuts to reduce some of the overexpenditure that occurred on the
previous government's watch, when huge amounts of money were going into
the public service with very little control, there has been, despite those
cuts, a 5.9 per cent increase in the health budget. With that increase we are
becoming more efficient, as all government departments need to do, to cope with
the international crisis and the international reduction in funds that all agencies
have to manage. Health has still received almost 26 per cent of the state
budget and the same effort is being applied in this government's time
in office as it was in the previous government's. That does not mean to
say that in individual instances when, for which the management is the
responsibility of a group of people, things cannot go wrong. It sounds in this
instance as though something has gone wrong, but that has absolutely nothing to
do with the three per cent cuts. The three per cent cuts have gone and are
forgotten. We have a 5.9 per cent increase in budget. In health we have more
money, but we also have a lot more responsibilities. We have to make sure that
we spend that money efficiently and in the best interest of the taxpayers.
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