WILKIE: Budget pedestrian, but on balance, good for Denison

Andrew Wilkie has described the Federal Budget as pedestrian but on balance good for Denison. He has praised the Government for maintaining funding for the Menzies Institute in Hobart as well as directing significant funds to mental health and support for people with prostate cancer. But he’s raised concerns the Government’s welfare-to-work reforms will demonise Centrelink benefit recipients and unfairly treat Disability Support Pension recipients.

Last night’s Budget was somewhat pedestrian but, on balance, good for Denison.

The maintenance of funding, and in fact a modest increase, for the National Health and Medical Research Council safeguards critical medical research nationally and for the Menzies Institute in Hobart specifically. I was particularly delighted with this outcome given that I had lobbied the Prime Minister, Treasurer, Finance Minister, Health Minister and the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research for NHMRC funding to be maintained.

Another priority I had championed was the need for Commonwealth funding for the Prostate Cancer Foundation and was very happy to see $3.9m allocated to prostate cancer support services. This is an unprecedented development as the foundation had not received any Commonwealth funding before.

Increased funding for mental health services was another pleasing development in last night’s Budget, even though the $1.5b in new money over 5 years remains way short of the level of new investment so desperately needed.

The Budget also confirmed full funding of the $340m for the Royal Hobart Hospital as well as the inclusion in Medicare of a privately operated MRI scanner in Hobart.

In contrast to these commendable dimensions of the Budget is the significant downside of the Government’s preoccupation with a Budget surplus before the next election. This is patently a political decision and one that completely ignores the strong public interest case for running the deficit out an extra 12 months.

Some aspects of the Government’s welfare to work reforms are also cause for concern, especially the risk that some Centrelink benefit recipients will be demonised and Disability Support Pension recipients unfairly treated. Many of these people are among the most disadvantaged members of our community and to target them for a short term political fix is cruel.

A local issue which also concerns me is that the forward estimates apparently include a tax on LPG. Given that Tasmanians already pay much more for this fuel than mainlanders, the imposition of such a tax will hit hard the Tasmanian economy, and in particular the taxi industry.
Andrew Wilkie, Independent Member for Denison