Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I grabbed a piece of paper on my way here, just to look at federal government's spending on health. It might be enlightening for the other side to listen to this, because in the financial year 2014-15 the federal government, in the area of health, spent $67 billion. The estimate for 2015-16, and we are just over halfway through it, is $69 billion. That is an increase of $2 billion of federal government spending on health.

You might ask: what after that? Will cuts happen, then? No, they will not. The estimates and projections for 2016-17 go to $71 billion. Projections for 2017-18 are $74 billion. For 2018-19 the projections for federal government spending, on health, are close to $77 billion. In 2018-19 we get to $77 billion. You might say to me, Mr Deputy Speaker Broadbent, where are we from last year? That was $67 billion. I know you are a very intelligent man, Mr Deputy Speaker, but I will tell you anyway. That is an increase of $10 billion in spending, on health, by the federal government. So let us lay out those facts and projections at the start of this. As a federal government we are increasing funding on health—as we should—every year and are budgeting to do so over the next five years.

I would like to take this opportunity as well to talk about spending on health in my local community. In the 2013 election I promised $4.5 million for the upgrade of the Ballina hospital. It will have a new operating theatre and some new imaging equipment. We have funded other health related ancillary services, like the Dementia Outreach Service. I recently announced infrastructure funding for Tresillian, which is a family care centre in Lismore, to help young families with babies and their health needs. We have increased funding for aged care and related health services. There have been millions of dollars—just in my community—announced in the last two years.

I know you are aware, Mr Deputy Speaker—as are most people in this House—of the scourge of ice in our community and the health issues it has created. We have increased funding to that area—from very little, if anything—by $300 million that we announced with the National Ice Taskforce. There is more in my local community. In 2013 the Labor government promised $3 million for redevelopment of the Casino emergency department. They made that promise six or seven weeks before the election. We did not.

I went to Casino after the election. I saw that the emergency department badly needed an upgrade and I lobbied the then health minister. We even matched that promise. There is a new triage area. There are two new resuscitation bays. There is a new ambulance entry. There are four new treatment bays. The waiting area was relocated, because they needed more privacy for people who presented to the emergency department.

As the local member I have a lot to do, as I should, with the Primary Health Network for our region. It is a great operation. We are giving them increased funding. In fact, we are giving them much more autonomy on how they spend money on health resources in our region. I had the pleasure, recently, to open a new headspace facility in my community. Mental health, as we know, greatly needs increased services. There is increased demand there as well.

So we are increasing funding for the health sector of our community—as we should. My wife is a nurse at the local hospital and I am very conscious of the good work they do. This federal government will increase resources to those areas that need it.

See this speech in context