Andrews avoids hospital funding question, criticises Sussan Ley

Mr Andrews returned to his home town yesterday morning to officially open the 30-bed rehabilitation centre on Greta Road.

When asked whether his government would commit funding to a new hospital on the Border, Mr Andrews did not directly answer the question.

"I'm not here today to make announcements about Albury Wodonga Health, which just for the record is a health service half of which is in another state," he said.

"But it's run by us, so let's be very clear there's no doubt about our commitment to care and support for patients across this region.

"As for a brand new greenfields hospital, I'm not here to make any announcements about that, but you can rest assured that no government's invested more in regional health than our government, we're proud of that, but we know there's a lot more that has to be done and we'll be there every step of the way."

Mr Andrews was later asked about member for Farrer Sussan Ley's Freedom of Information request of the Victorian government to release its Albury Wodonga Health masterplan, but he said whether the plans were released was a matter to be independently decided.

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"FOIs are administered by departmental officials, but while you've mentioned that federal member, perhaps you want to go back to her and ask her why federal health funding at 50:50 ends in September this year and goes back to 55 from the state and 45 from the Commonwealth," he said.

"Apparently COVID catch up will be over, there'll be no impacts of COVID once we get to September, so instead of FOI applications then maybe she ought to do her job and fund health properly, that'd be a really good thing."

Member for Farrer Sussan Ley responded.

"The Premier's non-answer, and ignorance of my FOI request, probably tells us more than if he had actually tried to respond," she said.

"On Commonwealth funding, we currently pay over 60 per cent of total government health funding across Medicare, hospitals and mental health.

"There is nothing stopping the Victorian government funding that state's hospitals appropriately."

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