EDITORIAL
It was a far from subtle message.
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Farrer MP Sussan Ley has been scathing of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews over the essential need for a new Border hospital.
What we have now is antiquated, even after just 30 years of service, and totally inadequate for one of Australia's most vibrant, populated regional areas.
Every politician who has their say on the topic - and they're always keen to express their opinions, though far more reticent on concrete solutions - agrees.
IN OTHER NEWS:
The barb though from Ms Ley was pointed. Mr Andrews had "put up the middle finger" over concerns related to our wider community's desperate need for a new hospital.
The context was her disappointment about a Freedom of Information request relating to a bid to obtain the master plan for a new hospital.
Mr Andrews had already had his say even before Ms Ley claimed he had "basically ignored" her request, effectively, she says, turning "a final master plan into a draft master plan, as the perfect excuse for not releasing any master plan".
Ms Ley is correct in so much as the seemingly never-ending drama of securing a major new hospital - one with the capacity for both now and for well into the decades ahead in servicing the Border region - should be a far more transparent process.
The Victorian government should not be able to hide behind notions of procedural secrecy to justify why we don't what it is doing.
And that's because for all we know, nothing could actually be happening.
That certainly has been the experience for some time now.
OUR SAY - GIVE US A NEW HOSPITAL:
- Dodging facts on desperately needed hospital is cynical
- Hospital master plan a masterstroke in not getting job done
- Health board letting us all down by failing to work for us
- Public health battle has only just got started
- Disunity's a disaster for Border's public health needs
- New hospital blame game just has to stop - find a solution
- Raw deal's a tale of wasted opportunity
- Funding neglect is a disgrace
The state government's stance is even more unacceptable given its abysmal level of financial support for Albury Wodonga Health since its assumed responsibility for its funding several years ago.
Time and time again it has shown scant regard for the facts relating to chronic under-funding compared with regions such as Ballarat and Bendigo that have far fewer patient numbers through their doors.
The Andrews government has shown no interest in looking after the public health needs of this community, and nothing it says indicates that is about to change.
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