In the December 2013 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO), the Abbott Government announced the removal of more than $150 million that had been committed by the previous Labor Government for western Sydney health services and infrastructure [1][2].
具体 jù tǐ 削减 xuē jiǎn 包括 bāo kuò : :
The specific cuts included:
- $100 million for the redevelopment of Westmead Hospital
- Tens of millions for research institutes and cancer infrastructure at Westmead, Nepean and Mount Druitt
- $22 million for urgent upgrades at St George Hospital
- $6 million for medical resonance imaging services at Mt Druitt [1][2]
Regarding the election promise, before the 2013 election, Prime Minister Tony Abbott stated: "We are about preserving front-line health services, preserving and improving front-line health services" and said the Coalition planned to "maintain existing levels of funding" [2].
The Coalition's health policy document also criticised Labor for cutting funding through mid-year fiscal updates, describing such actions as "another reminder of Labor's dysfunctional approach to managing our health system" [2].
The NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner defended the cuts, stating: "These were smoke and mirrors promises from Labor, completely hollow with no budgeted funding behind them...
It is reminiscent of NSW Labor's unfunded promises to upgrade Blacktown, Campbelltown, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga hospitals before the state election; there was no money" [2].
Additionally, the $150 million cut was part of the Coalition's broader 2014-15 Budget decision to unilaterally abandon the National Health Reform Agreement (NHRA), which would have saved over $57 billion between 2017-18 and 2024-25 by changing hospital funding indexation [3].
该 gāi 主张 zhǔ zhāng 也 yě 未 wèi 提及 tí jí , , 虽然 suī rán 工党 gōng dǎng 在 zài 选前 xuǎn qián 财政 cái zhèng 展望 zhǎn wàng 中 zhōng 列入 liè rù 了 le 这些 zhè xiē 承诺 chéng nuò , , 但 dàn 它们 tā men 是 shì 在 zài 选举 xuǎn jǔ 前夕 qián xī 做出 zuò chū 的 de , , 这 zhè 引发 yǐn fā 了 le 对 duì 其 qí 资金 zī jīn 确定性 què dìng xìng 的 de 质疑 zhì yí 。 。
This was not an isolated cut but part of a systematic change to hospital funding arrangements.
The article by Amy Corderoy (Health Editor) quotes multiple stakeholders including:
- NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner (defending the cuts)
- Opposition health spokesperson Dr Andrew McDonald (criticising the cuts)
- Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association CEO Alison Verhoeven
- Federal Labor health spokeswoman Catherine King
- Australian Medical Association NSW head Brian Owler
The SMH is generally considered centrist to centre-left in its editorial stance but maintains journalistic standards for factual accuracy.
**Did Labor do something similar?**
Search conducted: "Labor government hospital funding cuts"
Finding: The Labor Government also made significant hospital funding cuts during its tenure.
* * * *
In February 2013, the Gillard Government was forced to reverse a decision to cut $107 million from Victorian hospitals amid concerns about electoral backlash [4].
The Victorian Government was described as "completely hamstrung" by the Gillard Government's decision to slash health funding based on amended population growth statistics [4].
The pattern of pre-election health funding promises being revised after elections appears to cross party lines.
**Comparison:**
- Labor's $107 million Victorian hospital cuts (2013) vs Coalition's $150 million NSW cuts (2013)
- Both governments made pre-election promises about health funding that were subsequently broken or modified
- Both cited budgetary pressures and funding certainty issues as justifications
While the claim accurately identifies that the Coalition cut $150 million from NSW hospitals and broke pre-election promises to maintain health funding, the full story includes legitimate policy considerations and historical context.
**Criticisms of the Coalition action:**
- The cuts contradicted explicit pre-election promises by Tony Abbott to "preserve front-line health services" [2]
- The Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association stated: "This is bad news for public hospital patients...
It denies them the latest and best technology and infrastructure" [2]
- Opposition health spokesperson Catherine King said: "They have clearly abandoned their election promise not to cut funding from frontline health services, it is entirely hypocritical" [2]
- The broader 2014-15 Budget hospital funding cuts were described by the Senate Select Committee on Health as doing "serious damage to Commonwealth-state relations" [3]
**Government justifications:**
- The NSW Health Minister argued the funding was "hollow" with no actual budgeted money behind it
- The Coalition argued health spending was "unsustainable" and required reform [3]
- The 2014-15 Budget projected savings of over $57 billion through changed hospital funding arrangements [3]
**Historical pattern:** Both major parties have made pre-election health funding commitments that were subsequently revised.
The Labor Government's $107 million Victorian hospital cuts in 2013 faced similar criticism, and Labor itself had used mid-year fiscal updates to adjust health funding.
**Key context:** This is not unique to the Coalition - both parties have faced criticism for breaking health funding promises.
The Senate Select Committee on Health's final report noted that the Coalition's unilateral abandonment of the National Health Reform Agreement was particularly damaging to state-federal relations, but the broader pattern of health funding uncertainty spans multiple governments [3].
The Coalition Government did cut $150 million from NSW hospital funding in the December 2013 MYEFO, and this action contradicted Tony Abbott's pre-election promise to "maintain existing levels of funding" and "preserve front-line health services." The specific cuts to Westmead Hospital, St George Hospital, and other western Sydney health infrastructure were confirmed by multiple authoritative sources including the ABC and Sydney Morning Herald.
However, the context - that the NSW Government argued these were "hollow" unfunded promises from Labor - is relevant to understanding the government's justification, even if it doesn't negate the broken promise aspect.
The Coalition Government did cut $150 million from NSW hospital funding in the December 2013 MYEFO, and this action contradicted Tony Abbott's pre-election promise to "maintain existing levels of funding" and "preserve front-line health services." The specific cuts to Westmead Hospital, St George Hospital, and other western Sydney health infrastructure were confirmed by multiple authoritative sources including the ABC and Sydney Morning Herald.
However, the context - that the NSW Government argued these were "hollow" unfunded promises from Labor - is relevant to understanding the government's justification, even if it doesn't negate the broken promise aspect.