Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Let us go through it again: $900 million up from us; $616 million down from the Victorian government. Why are there cutbacks in Victoria? It is because of Victorian government cuts. Did Premier Baillieu need to do that? I remind the House and the people of Victoria that, in terms of sources of revenue—and this is not the only source for Victoria; it is just one example—Victoria is receiving a GST windfall of an additional $286 million over the next four years. Despite that GST windfall, Premier Baillieu has decided to take $616 million out of health care in Victoria.

I share the member's concern about the hospitals in his electorate. The pressure on his hospitals from the Victorian government, from his Liberal colleagues, is inappropriate. I hope he rings Premier Baillieu and says, as a federal Liberal, 'Please, Premier Baillieu, do not cut health by $616 million.' I am sure he would want to say, as this government increases health funding to Victoria by $900 million, that hospitals in his electorate should— (Time expired)

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