CATHERINE KING MP SHADOW MINISTER FOR HEALTH MEMBER FOR BALLARAT

E&OE TRANSCRIPT DOORSTOP INTERVIEW MELBOURNE THURSDAY, 6 MARCH 2014

SUBJECT/S: HEALTH CUTS, HOMELESSNESS SERVICES CATHERINE KING, SHADOW MINISTER FOR HEALTH: Today's analysis that has been admitted to by the Federal Health Minister shows that the Abbott Government has cut some $560 million out of ublic hos itals and uts an absolute lie to Tony Abbott's claim before the election that he would not cut money out of health! This $560 million" $#$$ million of which is borne by the state of %ictoria is clearly a bro&en election romise! 't (oes across the state of %ictoria! )ome $#* million over four years to the Alfred Hos ital" $*6 million lus to the Austin Hos ital" $6 million to the hos ital ''m standin( in front of here today the +allarat +ase Hos ital! This is on to of $#,0 million in cuts for cancer care nurses" stro&e care coordinators and medical research infrastructure bud(ed for by .abor! 't is also comin( on the bac& of ro osals by the Abbott Government to im ose a G/ Ta0 and means test Medicare! 1verybody &nows this will mean more ressure on our ublic hos itals and more ressure on our emer(ency de artments! 't is incumbent on .iberal remiers across the country to lobby the new federal (overnment si0 months in a(ainst these cuts to the ublic hos ital system! )o far 2avid 2avis has been absolutely mute on these cuts! He's &nown about these cuts since 2ecember and ' certainly call on him today to stand u for the state of %ictoria" stand u for hos itals in this state! Any 3uestions4

OURNALIST: The federal (overnment says these are the result of a deal done between the Gillard Government and the states! 's that the case4 KING: The a(reement is the fundin( a(reement si(ned u to by all states and territories! 't's im ortant to remember that the %ictorian state (overnment in articular was cryin( foul about that fundin( a(reement and it can't have it both ways! )ome $#$$ million cut from when .abor was last in office" .abor's bud(et that was e0 ected to (o to ublic hos itals" $#$$ million in the short time since the Abbott Government has come to ower! OURNALIST: .abor cut fundin( from %ictorian and from other hos itals as well thou(h! How is this any worse4 KING: These are in addition to the chan(e in fundin( that ha ened under .abor! 5ou will remember that 2avid 2avis wrote to every hos ital 617 in %ictoria" he lobbied lon( and hard and was e0tremely vocal on these cuts! ' have not heard a ee out of 2avid 2avis in the short time that the Abbott (overnment has been in ower! 2avid 2avis has &nown about these cuts of $560 million across the country and $#$$ million in %ictoria and he has said nothin(! OURNALIST: 8hat effect do you thin& the cuts will have on ublic hos itals4 KING: 8ell it's clearly evident when it comes to health that we are in for a horror bud(et! 8e already &now that these cuts will be uttin( ressure on emer(ency de artments" elective sur(ery waitin( times and on sur(ery more (enerally across the state! 8hat we also &now is the Abbott (overnment wants to im ose a G/ Ta0 or means test Medicare! 'f you do those thin(s eo le will sto (oin( to the doctor" they will end u in emer(ency de artments and they will end u much sic&er! This (overnment a ears set to ut substantial ressure on ublic hos itals ri(ht across the country! OURNALIST: That was ressure that they were already under from the bud(et they had last year and the year before4 KING: 8hat we already saw from the %ictorian state (overnment was hundreds of millions of dollars cut from hos itals! 6ertainly this additional cut of $#$$ million by the Abbott Government will ut additional ressure on ublic hos itals in %ictoria and it's incumbent on 2avid 2avis to run the same sort of cam ai(n he was re ared to run a(ainst .abor! He should be runnin( the same sort of cam ai(n on his mates in 6anberra! OURNALIST: 2o you thin& the states that do have .iberal (overnments will stand u to these4 KING: 8ell you would certainly ho e so! 5ou would certainly ho e that states that have .iberal (overnments will stand u to 6anberra in the interests of their health systems and for eo le in their states! +riefly on another matter ' see today that the 9a thine Government is so concerned about these issues that they've written to the Abbott Government about the 9ational

/artnershi A(reement for Homelessness for e0am le" and that the Abbott Government has been forced today - because in the a(reement it means they had to notify services in homelessness tomorrow if they were (oin( to be receivin( any fundin( or not! ' see the Abbott Government has been forced today to bow under ressure from the state (overnments on homelessness services althou(h they have cut another $:, million from those services! They should be writin( and showin( (reat concern for the cuts in health! OURNALIST: 8hat im act will we see on homelessness services4 KING: 7n the basis of the a(reement and the fundin( that flowed last year to the a(reement that the Abbott Government has been forced &ic&in( and screamin( to is $:, million less! That does mean that there will be cuts to homelessness services across the country! ENDS