ABBOTT AND BARNETT MEAN CUTS TO HOSPITALS AND SCHOOLS

MEDIA RELEASE

Bill Shorten MP.

Leader of the Opposition

The Senate Election on 5 April gives Western Australians a chance to send a message to Tony Abbott and Colin Barnett that they don’t support their cuts to health and education.
Western Australians are rightly concerned that Mr Abbott wants to model his Government on the Barnett Government.
This time last year he said:
“How much I respect the Premier of this state, how much I have learnt from him. How much I wish to model myself on him, should I get the opportunity to lead our country.”

[Tony Abbott, 17 February 2013]

The Barnett Government’s track record is littered with broken promises, massive cuts to health and education and a stagnating local economy.
This includes a $180m broken promise to redevelop the Royal Perth Hospital, despite WA Liberals collecting a whopping 35,000 signatures petitioning for the redevelopment while in Opposition.
Just like Tony Abbott promised ‘no cuts to health, education or defence’ before the election, he has cut $10 million in specialist cancer care workforce funding for oncologists and radiologists in WA.
Just like Tony Abbott promised no new taxes before the election, he is proposing a new GP Tax every time you visit the doctor.
With the mining boom slowing Governments should be investing in WA to build more rail, road and energy infrastructure. Not cutting jobs and services like the Liberals want to do.
But Western Australians know the worst is yet to come, although Tony Abbott is refusing to tell them where the cuts are coming before the election on 5 April.
He is treating Western Australians with absolute contempt by hiding his Commission of Audit report until after the election.
WA is doing its bit for the national economy – it shouldn’t be suffering cuts to health and education.
Just a sample of Mr Barnett’s cuts include:

• $183 million of cuts to WA schools, including 350 fewer teachers, 350 fewer education assistants and a 30 per cent cut to support school programs for children with learning difficulties and literacy and numeracy programs.
• Fiona Stanley Hospital is being delivered a year late after Barnett Government mismanagement.
• The promised $180m redevelopment of Royal Perth Hospital has been shelved.
• 40 hospital beds and 200 staff will be cut from Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital.
• $188 million has been cut from hospital upgrades in regional WA including in: Karratha, Tom Price, Newman, Collie, Northam, Katanning, Merredin, Narrogin and Manjimup.

WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH 2014