❓ The WA Health Minister criticizes the Howard Liberal federal budget for reducing the Commonwealth's contribution to WA public hospitals and failing to adequately address the public dental care waiting list.
AnsweredQoN 195Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FEDERAL BUDGET - IMPACT ON HEALTH SYSTEM
How will yesterday’s Howard Liberal federal budget impact on the Western Australian health system? Mr J.A. McGINTY
How will yesterday’s Howard Liberal federal budget impact on the Western Australian health system? Mr J.A. McGINTY
AnswerView source ↗
I am sure all members of the house will share my great disappointment at the fact that in this federal budget, the commonwealth government is continuing to reduce its share and contribution towards our public hospitals in Western Australia. When we came to government in 2001, the commonwealth government provided 37 per cent of the funding for our hospitals. That has now, with last night’s budget, declined to 30 per cent over that short period of time. The state’s contribution, by comparison, has now risen to 70 per cent of the total funding required for our public hospitals in Western Australia. I will give members an idea of the magnitude of this shortfall in funding as a result of last night’s budget. In a total state health budget of just under $4 billion, $3 billion goes to hospitals. This year, 70 per cent of the funding - namely, $2.1 billion - comes from state government revenue. The commonwealth provides less than $1 billion - $926 million - and is now down to 30 per cent of the cost of funding our hospitals. The commonwealth is simply not pulling its weight when it comes to the most necessary, complex and expensive health care provision. The commonwealth’s contribution has been cut dramatically in recent times. Other states are seeking a 50-50 funding arrangement with the commonwealth, whereby the commonwealth will pay 50 per cent of the cost of running the hospitals, and the states will pay the other 50 per cent. That is something we can only dream of. If we look at simply restoring the commonwealth share of funding to what it was when we came to power six years ago, an extra $200 million would need to be put in by the commonwealth to retain its proportion of the funding. Again, that is very disappointing. The other announcement, which, again, has fallen a lot short of expectations, is in respect of dental care. We in Western Australia are doing the best in the nation when it comes to providing public dental care, with approximately 14 000 people on the waiting list for public dental care. Nationally, 650 000 people are on the waiting list for public dental care. It is a disgrace. Some tentative noises were made by the Howard government that it would address the 650 000 Australians, generally speaking aged or low-income people, who are desperately in need of dental care. What we see in the federal budget is a very narrowly focused proposal to allow Medicare funding for dental care. That would see funding very narrowly targeted only for those with a chronic disease that is being impacted upon by poor dental health. My prediction is that that will do absolutely nothing for the 650 000 Australians who are waiting for dental care. Fortunately, in this state we have appreciated the need, and over the years we have put extra funding into meeting the shortfall that was caused by John Howard in 1996 when he cancelled the commonwealth dental scheme and threw tens of thousands of mainly elderly, low-income Western Australians onto the long waiting list. We have picked up that slack. It is disappointing that the commonwealth has failed to meet its obligations.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I am sure all members of the house will share my great disappointment at the fact that in this federal budget, the commonwealth government is continuing to reduce its share and contribution towards our public hospitals in Western Australia. When we came to government in 2001, the commonwealth government provided 37 per cent of the funding for our hospitals. That has now, with last night’s budget, declined to 30 per cent over that short period of time. The state’s contribution, by comparison, has now risen to 70 per cent of the total funding required for our public hospitals in Western Australia. I will give members an idea of the magnitude of this shortfall in funding as a result of last night’s budget. In a total state health budget of just under $4 billion, $3 billion goes to hospitals. This year, 70 per cent of the funding - namely, $2.1 billion - comes from state government revenue. The commonwealth provides less than $1 billion - $926 million - and is now down to 30 per cent of the cost of funding our hospitals. The commonwealth is simply not pulling its weight when it comes to the most necessary, complex and expensive health care provision. The commonwealth’s contribution has been cut dramatically in recent times. Other states are seeking a 50-50 funding arrangement with the commonwealth, whereby the commonwealth will pay 50 per cent of the cost of running the hospitals, and the states will pay the other 50 per cent. That is something we can only dream of. If we look at simply restoring the commonwealth share of funding to what it was when we came to power six years ago, an extra $200 million would need to be put in by the commonwealth to retain its proportion of the funding. Again, that is very disappointing. The other announcement, which, again, has fallen a lot short of expectations, is in respect of dental care. We in Western Australia are doing the best in the nation when it comes to providing public dental care, with approximately 14 000 people on the waiting list for public dental care. Nationally, 650 000 people are on the waiting list for public dental care. It is a disgrace. Some tentative noises were made by the Howard government that it would address the 650 000 Australians, generally speaking aged or low-income people, who are desperately in need of dental care. What we see in the federal budget is a very narrowly focused proposal to allow Medicare funding for dental care. That would see funding very narrowly targeted only for those with a chronic disease that is being impacted upon by poor dental health. My prediction is that that will do absolutely nothing for the 650 000 Australians who are waiting for dental care. Fortunately, in this state we have appreciated the need, and over the years we have put extra funding into meeting the shortfall that was caused by John Howard in 1996 when he cancelled the commonwealth dental scheme and threw tens of thousands of mainly elderly, low-income Western Australians onto the long waiting list. We have picked up that slack. It is disappointing that the commonwealth has failed to meet its obligations.
I am sure all members of the house will share my great disappointment at the fact that in this federal budget, the commonwealth government is continuing to reduce its share and contribution towards our public hospitals in Western Australia. When we came to government in 2001, the commonwealth government provided 37 per cent of the funding for our hospitals. That has now, with last night’s budget, declined to 30 per cent over that short period of time. The state’s contribution, by comparison, has now risen to 70 per cent of the total funding required for our public hospitals in Western Australia. I will give members an idea of the magnitude of this shortfall in funding as a result of last night’s budget. In a total state health budget of just under $4 billion, $3 billion goes to hospitals. This year, 70 per cent of the funding - namely, $2.1 billion - comes from state government revenue. The commonwealth provides less than $1 billion - $926 million - and is now down to 30 per cent of the cost of funding our hospitals. The commonwealth is simply not pulling its weight when it comes to the most necessary, complex and expensive health care provision. The commonwealth’s contribution has been cut dramatically in recent times. Other states are seeking a 50-50 funding arrangement with the commonwealth, whereby the commonwealth will pay 50 per cent of the cost of running the hospitals, and the states will pay the other 50 per cent. That is something we can only dream of. If we look at simply restoring the commonwealth share of funding to what it was when we came to power six years ago, an extra $200 million would need to be put in by the commonwealth to retain its proportion of the funding. Again, that is very disappointing. The other announcement, which, again, has fallen a lot short of expectations, is in respect of dental care. We in Western Australia are doing the best in the nation when it comes to providing public dental care, with approximately 14 000 people on the waiting list for public dental care. Nationally, 650 000 people are on the waiting list for public dental care. It is a disgrace. Some tentative noises were made by the Howard government that it would address the 650 000 Australians, generally speaking aged or low-income people, who are desperately in need of dental care. What we see in the federal budget is a very narrowly focused proposal to allow Medicare funding for dental care. That would see funding very narrowly targeted only for those with a chronic disease that is being impacted upon by poor dental health. My prediction is that that will do absolutely nothing for the 650 000 Australians who are waiting for dental care. Fortunately, in this state we have appreciated the need, and over the years we have put extra funding into meeting the shortfall that was caused by John Howard in 1996 when he cancelled the commonwealth dental scheme and threw tens of thousands of mainly elderly, low-income Western Australians onto the long waiting list. We have picked up that slack. It is disappointing that the commonwealth has failed to meet its obligations.
The other announcement, which, again, has fallen a lot short of expectations, is in respect of dental care. We in Western Australia are doing the best in the nation when it comes to providing public dental care, with approximately 14 000 people on the waiting list for public dental care. Nationally, 650 000 people are on the waiting list for public dental care. It is a disgrace. Some tentative noises were made by the Howard government that it would address the 650 000 Australians, generally speaking aged or low-income people, who are desperately in need of dental care. What we see in the federal budget is a very narrowly focused proposal to allow Medicare funding for dental care. That would see funding very narrowly targeted only for those with a chronic disease that is being impacted upon by poor dental health. My prediction is that that will do absolutely nothing for the 650 000 Australians who are waiting for dental care. Fortunately, in this state we have appreciated the need, and over the years we have put extra funding into meeting the shortfall that was caused by John Howard in 1996 when he cancelled the commonwealth dental scheme and threw tens of thousands of mainly elderly, low-income Western Australians onto the long waiting list. We have picked up that slack. It is disappointing that the commonwealth has failed to meet its obligations.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I am sure all members of the house will share my great disappointment at the fact that in this federal budget, the commonwealth government is continuing to reduce its share and contribution towards our public hospitals in Western Australia. When we came to government in 2001, the commonwealth government provided 37 per cent of the funding for our hospitals. That has now, with last night’s budget, declined to 30 per cent over that short period of time. The state’s contribution, by comparison, has now risen to 70 per cent of the total funding required for our public hospitals in Western Australia. I will give members an idea of the magnitude of this shortfall in funding as a result of last night’s budget. In a total state health budget of just under $4 billion, $3 billion goes to hospitals. This year, 70 per cent of the funding - namely, $2.1 billion - comes from state government revenue. The commonwealth provides less than $1 billion - $926 million - and is now down to 30 per cent of the cost of funding our hospitals. The commonwealth is simply not pulling its weight when it comes to the most necessary, complex and expensive health care provision. The commonwealth’s contribution has been cut dramatically in recent times. Other states are seeking a 50-50 funding arrangement with the commonwealth, whereby the commonwealth will pay 50 per cent of the cost of running the hospitals, and the states will pay the other 50 per cent. That is something we can only dream of. If we look at simply restoring the commonwealth share of funding to what it was when we came to power six years ago, an extra $200 million would need to be put in by the commonwealth to retain its proportion of the funding. Again, that is very disappointing. The other announcement, which, again, has fallen a lot short of expectations, is in respect of dental care. We in Western Australia are doing the best in the nation when it comes to providing public dental care, with approximately 14 000 people on the waiting list for public dental care. Nationally, 650 000 people are on the waiting list for public dental care. It is a disgrace. Some tentative noises were made by the Howard government that it would address the 650 000 Australians, generally speaking aged or low-income people, who are desperately in need of dental care. What we see in the federal budget is a very narrowly focused proposal to allow Medicare funding for dental care. That would see funding very narrowly targeted only for those with a chronic disease that is being impacted upon by poor dental health. My prediction is that that will do absolutely nothing for the 650 000 Australians who are waiting for dental care. Fortunately, in this state we have appreciated the need, and over the years we have put extra funding into meeting the shortfall that was caused by John Howard in 1996 when he cancelled the commonwealth dental scheme and threw tens of thousands of mainly elderly, low-income Western Australians onto the long waiting list. We have picked up that slack. It is disappointing that the commonwealth has failed to meet its obligations.
I am sure all members of the house will share my great disappointment at the fact that in this federal budget, the commonwealth government is continuing to reduce its share and contribution towards our public hospitals in Western Australia. When we came to government in 2001, the commonwealth government provided 37 per cent of the funding for our hospitals. That has now, with last night’s budget, declined to 30 per cent over that short period of time. The state’s contribution, by comparison, has now risen to 70 per cent of the total funding required for our public hospitals in Western Australia. I will give members an idea of the magnitude of this shortfall in funding as a result of last night’s budget. In a total state health budget of just under $4 billion, $3 billion goes to hospitals. This year, 70 per cent of the funding - namely, $2.1 billion - comes from state government revenue. The commonwealth provides less than $1 billion - $926 million - and is now down to 30 per cent of the cost of funding our hospitals. The commonwealth is simply not pulling its weight when it comes to the most necessary, complex and expensive health care provision. The commonwealth’s contribution has been cut dramatically in recent times. Other states are seeking a 50-50 funding arrangement with the commonwealth, whereby the commonwealth will pay 50 per cent of the cost of running the hospitals, and the states will pay the other 50 per cent. That is something we can only dream of. If we look at simply restoring the commonwealth share of funding to what it was when we came to power six years ago, an extra $200 million would need to be put in by the commonwealth to retain its proportion of the funding. Again, that is very disappointing. The other announcement, which, again, has fallen a lot short of expectations, is in respect of dental care. We in Western Australia are doing the best in the nation when it comes to providing public dental care, with approximately 14 000 people on the waiting list for public dental care. Nationally, 650 000 people are on the waiting list for public dental care. It is a disgrace. Some tentative noises were made by the Howard government that it would address the 650 000 Australians, generally speaking aged or low-income people, who are desperately in need of dental care. What we see in the federal budget is a very narrowly focused proposal to allow Medicare funding for dental care. That would see funding very narrowly targeted only for those with a chronic disease that is being impacted upon by poor dental health. My prediction is that that will do absolutely nothing for the 650 000 Australians who are waiting for dental care. Fortunately, in this state we have appreciated the need, and over the years we have put extra funding into meeting the shortfall that was caused by John Howard in 1996 when he cancelled the commonwealth dental scheme and threw tens of thousands of mainly elderly, low-income Western Australians onto the long waiting list. We have picked up that slack. It is disappointing that the commonwealth has failed to meet its obligations.
The other announcement, which, again, has fallen a lot short of expectations, is in respect of dental care. We in Western Australia are doing the best in the nation when it comes to providing public dental care, with approximately 14 000 people on the waiting list for public dental care. Nationally, 650 000 people are on the waiting list for public dental care. It is a disgrace. Some tentative noises were made by the Howard government that it would address the 650 000 Australians, generally speaking aged or low-income people, who are desperately in need of dental care. What we see in the federal budget is a very narrowly focused proposal to allow Medicare funding for dental care. That would see funding very narrowly targeted only for those with a chronic disease that is being impacted upon by poor dental health. My prediction is that that will do absolutely nothing for the 650 000 Australians who are waiting for dental care. Fortunately, in this state we have appreciated the need, and over the years we have put extra funding into meeting the shortfall that was caused by John Howard in 1996 when he cancelled the commonwealth dental scheme and threw tens of thousands of mainly elderly, low-income Western Australians onto the long waiting list. We have picked up that slack. It is disappointing that the commonwealth has failed to meet its obligations.
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