Minister must correct the record on $700 million cuts to health

Labor won’t let Minister Bridget Archer get away with continuing to mislead Tasmanians about the $700 million worth of cuts Eric Abetz is making to health.

On Friday, the Minister was unequivocal as she attempted to pull the wool over the eyes of Tasmanians, saying “there are no cuts to health” in a statement.

This is patently false – the second last page of the budget papers clearly outlines $700 million worth of cuts.

Eric Abetz himself told Tasmanians there would be “short-term pain” from the near $1.5 billion dollars of cuts he is making to the budget to pay for 13 years of Liberal waste.

The majority of these cuts come from health. If Bridget Archer doesn’t believe they exist, what pain is Eric Abetz talking about?

The bizarre social media campaign that has followed from the Liberals, and the fact the Minister is dodging interviews, shows just how touchy she is about it.

When she was in Canberra, Minister Archer made a name for herself for crossing the floor against the Liberals on things like the social media ban for teenagers.

But now she is Health Minister in Tasmania, Bridget Archer won’t even stand up against Eric Abetz cutting $700 million worth of jobs and services from her primary portfolio to pay for 13 years of Liberal waste.