Federal and State members of parliament are calling on the Queensland Government to stop playing politics with dental health funding.
Federal Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt said claims by Health Minister Steven Miles that there had been funding cuts to dental health services were untrue.
“The Queensland State Government needs to do its job and stop misleading the people of this region,” Mr Pitt said.
“The National Partnership Agreement (NPA) on Public Dental Services for Adults was signed back in July 2017 by the Federal Government, offering the Queensland State Government $48.8 million, which would deliver services to around 80,300 patients.
“But instead of doing what is required to access this funding the State Labor Government is dragging its heels.
“By not providing an agreed project plan for the delivery of additional services means the Commonwealth can’t release these funds to the state. Queensland is the only state not to have an agreed project plan in place for the NPA.”
The Coalition Government also added an additional $163.6 million over 5 years from 1 January 2017
to the Child Dental Benefits Schedule, meaning around 3 million Australian children will be able to
access up to $1,000 worth of check-ups and treatments every two years.
State Member for Bundaberg David Batt said he was disappointed to see Queensland’s Health
Minister playing politics instead of getting on with the job and reducing the state’s public dental wait
times.
“Minister Miles wrote to all Queensland State and Federal MPs claiming the Federal government
was cutting funds to Queensland’s public dental services, when in fact it’s the complete opposite,”
Mr Batt said.
“The Federal government has provided Queensland with $48.8 million under the National
Partnership Agreement for additional public Dental Services, but the Queensland Government are
still yet to provide the agreed project plan, and without that plan, no funds can be released.
“The Queensland Government just needs to get on with the job, provide the plan, and the funds will
be provided, it’s that simple.”
State Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett said the Labor Government is once again spinning lies.
“It’s disgusting to see the Health Minister write a letter to me personally full of untruths,” Mr
Bennett said.
“He blatantly lied when he said the Turnbull Government was to blame for the huge dental waiting
lists.
“Under an LNP Government we had wait lists down to zero, under a Palaszczuk Government Bundaberg patients now have to wait for more than two years for vital treatment.
“The people of Bundaberg deserve better and they’re not getting it with Labor’s incompetent health minister at the helm.”
03/08/2018