Federal Minister for Health Tanya Plibersek has said she is extremely concerned over the Queensland Government’s $4.4 million per year cuts to health care grants.

 

Ms Plibersek also took the opportunity to accuse the State Health Minister, Lawrence Springborg, of trying to shift blame and responsibility.

 

“As Australian Government funding increases, Queensland should at least maintain state funding,” said Ms Plibersek.

 

“It’s not fair to the people of Queensland that the Queensland Government is using increased Commonwealth funding as a weak excuse to cut state health funding.”

 

“So the announcement today is just a cynical attempt by Campbell Newman and Lawrence Springborg to try and spin their way out of yet another round of funding cuts to health.”

 

Ms Plibersek said she was extremely concerned about what these cuts could mean to the provision of preventative health and other programs being cut today.

 

She said the decision by Queensland Health to stop awarding grants to non-government health care providers was being made solely by the Newman Government without consultation with relevant stakeholders such as the Commonwealth Government or relevant Medicare Locals.

           

Ms Plibersek said the removal of funding was a flagrant breach of national health reform, where states and territories agreed to maintainin the level of funding allocations and not to use the level of Commonwealth funding as an excuse to change funding levels.