The Weatherill Labor Government Mid-Year Budget Review (MYBR) has revealed cuts to the health budget in 2015-16 will be 73.6 per cent of total budget cuts to all agencies.
“The real implications of the decisions taken by Premier Weatherill and Health Minister Snelling to defer health cuts until after the 2014 State election are revealed in the MYBR fine print,” said Shadow Health Minister Rob Lucas.
The following table (compiled from pages 18 and 40) refers to total ‘savings and revenue measures’ commencing in each budget year:
Year Total cuts Health cuts Health cuts %
2013/14 $282 million $116 million 41.1%
2014/15 $207 million $100 million 48.3%
2015/16 $144 million $106 million 73.6%
2016/17 $100 million $57 million 57.0%
“Whilst the health budget is about 30 per cent of the total state budget, only Mr Weatherill and Mr Snelling can explain why they believe health should compile up to 73.6 per cent of total budget cuts in any year,” said Mr Lucas.
“SA Health executives told the Budget and Finance Committee in September that 200 nursing positions were to be cut this year.
“Given the fact health cuts are such a large percentage of total budget cuts, Mr Weatherill and Mr Snelling should now indicate how many nursing positions are expected to be cut by 2016-17.”