Mr GUNNER - 2009-05-05
How will Budget 2009-10 improve health services for Territorians?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, our government recognises that health is a key priority for Territorians, and we are very proud of our record in health. As has been widely reported, this is the first time that the Territory’s Health budget is in excess of $1bn. It is the most difficult budget in the Territory’s history. I thank the Treasurer and my Cabinet colleagues who, despite the decline in revenue, decided unanimously that health is too important and the Health budget should not be slashed, and that the Health budget should increase.
Building up health services is an important component of building the Territory. It is a $1bn budget which directly protects jobs for hundreds of doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals. It means more frontline people – people we need at the coalface - in Alice Springs, Gove, Tennant Creek, Darwin, everywhere in the community. We make no apologies for boosting the number of doctors and nurses. This year’s budget will mean 95 extra nurses in the Territory, bringing the total number of nurses to 578 more nurses since 2001. This year’s budget will support an extra 17 doctors; 184 more doctors since 2001.
This budget paper shows that $1.05bn dollars will be spent on the Department of Health and Families. I am pretty sure that at the end of the year, financially, you will find out that that figure will be further exceeded because there will be more money coming from the Commonwealth and the government is prepared to put more money into the Health budget. It is going to be in excess of $1.05bn dollars. The important thing is that $600m of this money will go towards Indigenous related health. That is very important.
Last week the members for Goyder and Greatorex criticised the government because we had a record expenditure for the Royal Darwin Hospital. If we had done what the CLP wanted and put a freeze on staff numbers in the hospital to 2007 numbers it would have meant 233 fewer nurses in our system. We are not going to do that.
We are committed to support health. We are committed to build a health system equal to the health system in other states in Australia, and we put the money in to do it.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, our government recognises that health is a key priority for Territorians, and we are very proud of our record in health. As has been widely reported, this is the first time that the Territory’s Health budget is in excess of $1bn. It is the most difficult budget in the Territory’s history. I thank the Treasurer and my Cabinet colleagues who, despite the decline in revenue, decided unanimously that health is too important and the Health budget should not be slashed, and that the Health budget should increase.
Building up health services is an important component of building the Territory. It is a $1bn budget which directly protects jobs for hundreds of doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals. It means more frontline people – people we need at the coalface - in Alice Springs, Gove, Tennant Creek, Darwin, everywhere in the community. We make no apologies for boosting the number of doctors and nurses. This year’s budget will mean 95 extra nurses in the Territory, bringing the total number of nurses to 578 more nurses since 2001. This year’s budget will support an extra 17 doctors; 184 more doctors since 2001.
This budget paper shows that $1.05bn dollars will be spent on the Department of Health and Families. I am pretty sure that at the end of the year, financially, you will find out that that figure will be further exceeded because there will be more money coming from the Commonwealth and the government is prepared to put more money into the Health budget. It is going to be in excess of $1.05bn dollars. The important thing is that $600m of this money will go towards Indigenous related health. That is very important.
Last week the members for Goyder and Greatorex criticised the government because we had a record expenditure for the Royal Darwin Hospital. If we had done what the CLP wanted and put a freeze on staff numbers in the hospital to 2007 numbers it would have meant 233 fewer nurses in our system. We are not going to do that.
We are committed to support health. We are committed to build a health system equal to the health system in other states in Australia, and we put the money in to do it.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016