Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Earlier the member for Corangamite mentioned in her speech the Liberal-National candidate for the state election. I am glad that she has brought up the coming Victoria state election, because the question today is: how will the Victorian government make up the $80 billion shortfall that this government has created in cuts to health and education? For the Liberal government of the state of Victoria, the question will now be: will they increase taxes or will they make further cuts to our hospital and education system? Fifty billion dollars worth of cuts have been made to the health system by this government in its budget, including $1 billion from Victorian hospitals. In my electorate of Bendigo that means at least half a million dollars in cuts from Bendigo Health right now. Next financial year, it will mean $3.2 million is cut from the Bendigo hospital.

The Prime Minister stood in front of the Bendigo hospital in September 2012 and did not mention once that when he was the Prime Minister he would cut funding from that hospital. That is what he has done. It is another broken promise to the people of Bendigo and a broken promise to the people of Victoria.