ACT Liberal senator Zed Seselja says this month's federal budget confirms a 60 per cent increase in health funding to the ACT since the Coalition returned to government in 2013.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Figures from 2013-14, the final year of the Rudd-Gillard Labor government, show the ACT received $233 million under the national funding agreement for health spending, growing to $340.80 million in Scott Morrison's second budget this month.
Senator Seselja welcomed the growth under Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull as admissions to territory hospitals grew by 7 per cent last financial year, but Labor said the comments didn't take into account population growth or indexation.
"The ACT government needs to be doing more to ensure the funding they receive from the Commonwealth is spent efficiently and effectively," Senator Seselja said.
"ACT residents need to be getting the benefits of this record Commonwealth investment.
"By 2020/21, the ACT Government will receive $443 million from the Commonwealth. This is a significant amount and we need to see this flow through to improve the hospital system locally."
The budget papers show the national health reform and public hospitals spending for the ACT will increase to $399.3 million in 2018-19, and to $425.8 million a year later.
Nationally, the budget promises $2.8 billion in extra hospital funding, $1.4 billion for health research and $115 million for mental health. About $2.2 billion will go to a reversal of the freeze on the indexation of Medicare rebates and bulk-billing incentives.
Treasurer Scott Morrison said this week the expanded Medicare levy would be waived for individuals earning up to $21,655 a year, families earning up to $36,541 and retirees qualifying for certain tax offsets.
Senator Seselja said said the Coalition was strengthening Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme as well as providing for hospitals, mental and preventive health spending and investing in medical research.
He said the spending was "great news for all Canberrans" and promised to help deliver better health outcomes to the territory.
Canberra MP Gai Brodtmann said Senator Seselja was overlooking the former Labor government's record in health services for the ACT, including the Canberra Region Cancer Centre, upgrades to equipment for Breastscreen ACT and patient and carer accommodation in Duffy.
"Under the Turnbull government out of pocket costs have soared," she said. "Canberrans are paying an average $11 more out of their own pocket.
"The Turnbull government has failed to properly invest in healthcare for Canberra and the recent budget does nothing to fix this."
Ms Brodtmann said the figures were "nothing but hot air."
"The total spend increases as a raw figure because of population growth and indexation - not because the Turnbull government is providing more funding for healthcare and hospitals," she said.
