Turnbull Govt mixes up its geography with new medical school

Malcolm Turnbull’s budget has abandoned a Sunshine Coast-based medical school, funding an entirely new medical school on the NSW Central Coast while continuing to ignore Queensland’s request for 15 Commonwealth-supported medical places on the Sunshine Coast.

A total investment of $32.5 million in Federal funds will go towards a new Medical School and Medical Research Institute in Gosford, NSW, in the marginal Liberal seat of Robertson.

The Turnbull Government’s budget papers say the funding will assist with the establishment of the Central Coast Medical School in Gosford and also note, that “this measure will support jobs and increase higher education accessibility and participation”.

But the Turnbull Government’s budget does nothing to confirm the “fake news” claims made by Member for Fairfax Ted O’Brien and Member for Fisher Andrew Wallace that there would be fifteen more medical places for local residents at the Sunshine Coast medical school.

Health and Ambulance Services Minister Cameron Dick said that was because there were no new Commonwealth supported-places.

“This decision shows just how much the Liberal National Party take the votes of Sunshine Coast residents for granted,” Mr Dick said.

“Robertson in New South Wales is a marginal seat held by the Coalition with a 2.3 per cent margin and they’re getting a brand new medical school from the Turnbull Government.

“But Ted O’Brien and Andrew Wallace, sitting on margins of roughly 20 per cent each, have no sway in the Turnbull Government.

“Mr O’Brien and Mr Wallace need to explain to their voters why the Turnbull Government has not allocated any additional Commonwealth medical places to Griffith University to deliver the fifty funded positions that are needed.

“They need to tell their community how many medical places have been allocated to a medical school, yet to be built, in Gosford, NSW.

“They need to ask themselves why they claim to represent their communities when they are unable to deliver Commonwealth-supported medical school places.”

On May 1 2017, Mr Dick wrote to the Federal Assistant Minister for Health, Dr David Gillespie, asking him to review and reverse the decision of the Turnbull Government not to allocate any additional Commonwealth-supported places to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital medical school.

“I am still waiting to receive a response,” Mr Dick said.

“I again call on the Turnbull Government to allocate the additional 15 Commonwealth-supported places the new Sunshine Coast medical school needs.

“The start date for the medical school has already been delayed to 2019 due to the Commonwealth Government’s inability to make a decision.

“I’m desperately worried that if we don’t get immediate confirmation of the additional 15 Commonwealth-supported places, the opening of the medical school will be delayed even further.”

ENDS

Media contact:

Emma McBryde 0447 155 332