THE state government is to blame for budget cuts at Bendigo Health, according to the federal member for Bendigo, Steve Gibbons.
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Bendigo Health chief executive John Mulder said the federal government had pulled $2.9 million from the health service’s budget for this financial year.
But Mr Gibbons said in a statement the blame rested with the Victorian government and state health minister David Davis, adding that ward closures were normal at this time of year.
“The real story here is that (the) state’s growth forecasts have been revised based on a formula Premier Baillieu himself signed up to,” he said.
“Because Victoria’s population has not grown as quickly as expected, and health inflation is not as great as expected, the commonwealth contribution will not grow as much as the Baillieu government would like.
“Minister Davis pretends the commonwealth is claiming Victoria’s population has fallen.
“That is not the case.
“It simply hasn’t grown as quickly as expected, according to the most recent census run by the independent Australian Bureau of Statistics”.
Mr Gibbons said federal funding had actually increased.
“The recent commonwealth budget update confirmed health funding in Victoria will increase by 26 per cent over the next four years, from $3.6 billion in 2012-13 to $4.5 billion in 2015-16.
“That’s an additional $900 million.
“At the same time Victoria is also receiving an unexpected extra $66.9 million in GST payments this year.”
Mr Gibbons said it was a time of record federal health funding to Victoria.
He said Mr Baillieu and Mr Davis needed to “apologise to Victorians for failing them”.
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