Springborg issues State of Origin challenge to Rudd

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has been issued a State of Origin challenge - to reinstate $103 million in federal health funding ripped from Queensland hospitals by his fellow Queensland Labor MP Wayne Swan.

Queensland Health Minister Lawrence Springborg says the challenge could restore lost funds in regional areas across the State, including:

• $6.5 million in Cairns
• $4.8 million in Rockhampton
• $6.1 million in Darling Downs
• $9.2 million in Gold Coast
• $3.1 million in Mackay
• $41.2 million metropolitan Brisbane
• $7.8 million in Townsville
• $4.2 million in West Moreton
• $4.9 million in Wide Bay.
 
“When former Labor Treasurer Wayne Swan ripped $104 million from the Victorian health budget, Ms Gillard, a Victorian, reversed the decision,” Mr Springborg said today.

“But when Mr Swan also pillaged the Queensland Health budget, the Victorian ex-PM refused to intervene and placed up to 2,000 Queensland jobs and hospital services at risk.

“On State of Origin decider day, it is time for the Queensland-based Prime Minister to correct the damage caused by Mr Swan and Ms Gillard.”

The Health Minister said a Senate inquiry confirmed the brutal impact of the Commonwealth cuts, urged the reinstatement of lost funds and warned Labor of the serious damage it caused.

“As a helpful and patriotic Queenslander, Mr Rudd should do for Queensland what his predecessor did for Victoria and reinstate the missing $103 million that the former Prime Minister gutted from the Queensland health system,” Mr Springborg said.

“If Mr Rudd refuses, it’s time he explained why the interests of Victorians are more important to Labor than the interests of Queenslanders. Patients in our hospitals have been treated as second rate citizens by Labor and its union apologists at both levels of Government.”

Mr Springborg said that while the Federal Government cut its commitment to Queensland Health, the Newman Government increased health expenditure by more than a billion dollars to $12.3 billion, in just over 12 months.

[ENDS] 17 July 2013

Contact: Cameron Thompson 0407 585 230
(Full table including all regional and remote areas available at request)