Paul Austin of The Age writes (28 December, 2009):

Premier John Brumby has been accused of misusing taxpayers’ money on a multimillion-dollar pre-election advertising blitz.

The Opposition is demanding tougher rules against using public money for political gain as the Government spends more than $10 million on TV advertisements and mass mail-outs to promote its performance in the sensitive areas of hospitals, schools, roads and public transport.

In the latest campaign, the Government spent more than $1 million on TV ads that spruik Melbourne’s yet-to-be-built new cancer hospital.

Opposition health spokesman David Davis said the $1 million should have been spent on services for cancer sufferers. But Health Minister Daniel Andrews said the campaign was designed to save lives by reducing the ”fear and stigma” surrounding cancer.

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The Brumby Government has abandoned the long-promised redevelopment of Box Hill Hospital today, with a senior Minister in the Labor Government telling the Parliament Labor’s scaled-back $400 million version of the promised $800 million-plus redevelopment was ‘as good as it gets’, Shadow Minister for Health David Davis said.

When asked in Upper House of Parliament today about the Labor Government’s commitment to the redevelopment, arrogant Labor Minister Gavin Jennings replied:

“… it’s pretty clear this is as good as it gets today”

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The Minister for Health has been forced into an embarrassing backdown over the Sea Lake Hospital after two long years of obstruction, Shadow Minister for Health David Davis said today.

“This welcome backdown means the hospital will not be forced to close at Christmas, as would have occurred under the Minister’s long-standing plan,” Mr Davis said.

“The hospital closure would have left 40 staff without a job and forced the relocation of 28 long-term high-care and low-care residents.

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Patients will wait and suffer longer as a result of massive public hospital investment losses revealed today by the Auditor-General, Shadow Minister for Health David Davis said.  

The Auditor-General revealed that Victorian public hospitals had suffered a catastrophic loss on investments of more than $35 million in 2008-09, up from an already unacceptable $10.3 million the previous year.

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Statistics released today by the Rudd Government show that Victoria is well behind most other states and territories in spending on critical public health services.

Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing David Davis said a new report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showed Victoria’s estimated total government expenditure per person on public health activities of $98.50 is the second-lowest of all Australian states and territories. 

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