The Hodgman Liberal Government worked hard to secure a $730.4 million, 10-year deal for the Mersey Community Hospital – but it took only a few hours for Labor to say they would raid the hospital’s coffers.
As part of the deal with the federal Government we ensured that the funding was quarantined to be spent only at the Mersey.
However the Opposition leader has already said ``But I think it does highlight that there is a much bigger issue that we need to be giving consideration to, and that’s funding for all of our state’s hospitals.’’*
This clearly highlights their intention to raid the Mersey money and spend it elsewhere.
Labor has form – they have done it before and will do it again.
Tasmanians have not forgotten that under former Health Minister Lara Giddings, Mersey funding was taken from the hospital and spent in the South – a blatant act of dishonesty.
We’ve already seen that the new leader is reticent about the North West and even reluctant to visit the region.
The unprecedented $730.4 million, long-term deal with the federal Government was something Labor could never achieve.
And let’s not forget that the outgoing Labor-Green Government pushed out the negotiating deadline to May 31, 2014 – just 30 days short of funds running out.
The Mersey plays a crucial role for the North West community and more broadly the whole Tasmanian Health Service.
The Hodgman Government has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to the North West and this week’s unprecedented deal only further shows that.
*ABC Radio Hobart 5/4/2017