The Liberal minority government has been caught red handed raiding $150 million from health bank accounts to prop up their budget mess.
Under questioning from Labor in Estimates today, Treasurer Michael Ferguson admitted the Liberals have resorted to raiding Specific Purpose Accounts in the Health Department to cover budget blowouts.
Despite the fact the Treasurer couldn’t say what the purpose of the funds was - meaning he approved the raid without even knowing the consequences - Health Department officials subsequently admitted the funds had been set aside for digital health upgrades.
Funding for digital health upgrades has since been cut in this year's budget, at a time when Tasmania's hospitals are in desperate need of technology upgrades, with nursing rosters still being printed on paper and stuck on the walls.
Funds set aside to modernise our health system have been drained because of the Liberals’ budget mismanagement.
Just how sick are the state’s finances?
Josh Willie MP
Shadow Treasurer