House debates

Monday, 23 February 2015

Statements by Members

Richmond Electorate: Health

Photo of Justine ElliotJustine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I rise to speak about The Tweed Hospital and the fact that it is at breaking point and also that our local health system is in crisis. Local families in the Tweed deserve so much better. They deserve so much better than the National Party. Families just cannot afford any more National Party cuts and cost of living increases. The fact is that Tweed Nationals MP Geoff Provest and his state Liberal-National government keep cutting funding from our health and hospitals. It is a shameful record and it is one that is hurting the people on the north coast of New South Wales.

The fact is that The Nationals have slashed $3 billion from New South Wales health and hospitals, and this includes $2.2 billion in program and operating costs and $775 million from hospital staff budgets. New South Wales now has the longest elective surgery waiting list times in Australia. When you add this to the $50 billion in cuts to health and hospital funding and the GP tax courtesy of the Abbott government, it is devastating news to the people of New South Wales. All these health and hospital cuts in regional areas within New South Wales prove that you just cannot trust the National Party. Whether it is hospital cuts or whether it is privatising electricity assets, which will push up prices for locals, or whether it is expanding harmful coal seam gas mining across our region, the fact is that you cannot trust the National Party. Locals know you cannot trust the National Party on a range of issues. What is hurting locals the most are these recent cuts to our health and hospital systems. There has been $3 billion in cuts to New South Wales health and hospitals. You just cannot trust the National Party.