Page 1940 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 3 June 2015
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In the current tough economic times you can really tell a lot about a government by how they treat their workers. The protection of jobs and income should be any government’s overwhelming priority.
It is pleasing to see the ACT Labor Government continue to focus on working people and their communities.
This Budget is a good step towards undoing the damage that the Abbott Government has wrecked on Canberra.
Unions recognise that the budget deficit has largely been caused by the Mr Fluffy disaster and the federal government funding cuts. Keeping up investment in public service sector and social services jobs is crucial for working people in Canberra and should receive bipartisan support.
There is more. The Health Care Consumers Association said:
We see a continuation of the modest growth in health funding to advance the ACT Government’s plan for our city. The Health budget hits $1.5 billion, around a third of the total ACT Budget. The Government is very clear about their commitment to providing health services and they are moving in the right direction.
It continues to deliver on the services announced last year, including the continuation of specialists at the Canberra Hospital Emergency Department and increasing outpatient services for women and children and the Centenary Hospital.
Construction of the University of Canberra Public Hospital starts in 2016. This will be a welcome addition to the public hospital system in Canberra. A part of this project is the provision of car parking, often dismissed as a trivial issue.
The Health Care Consumers Association goes on to say:
We are very pleased to see that the arrangements have been finalised and made public for parking at the University of Canberra Public Hospital. During the recent consultation on the Reference Design the car parking was not finalised and raised more than a few eyebrows. It is now known that there will be 400—
Four hundred, Madam Assistant Speaker—
on-site car spaces.
The association also says:
Some of the good news of this budget is the additional funding for Canberra Hospital. There is a clear vision to have Calvary and Canberra Public Hospitals as part of a networked, integrated health system. There is $5.6 million for the upgrade at the Calvary Public operating theatre and a further $3.7 million for upgrading of medical imaging equipment.
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