Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

First of all, there were some false claims made in question time today about my record on public hospital funding. For the record, let me just correct the misrepresentation. The Howard government in 2004-05 gave $7.95 billion to public hospitals and in 2007-08 we gave $9.76 billion to public hospitals. In total, it was a $10 billion increase over the period. There was a further misrepresentation when the Prime Minister claimed that I had had nothing to do with the cancer centre in Darwin. I am quoting from the Care newsletter by the Northern Territory Cancer Council:

On 30 March Minister Burns signed a formal agreement with Federal Health Minister Abbott that should see construction of the Radiation Oncology Unit begin later this year, and hopefully operational by early 2009.

I delivered my part; members opposite did not. I further clarify the misrepresentation by quoting the leading doctor, who said: ‘I haven’t met Tony, but certainly things got going when he was health minister. It’s certainly the version I tell patients.’

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