June 5, 2016 11:00am
LABOR has accused the Coalition of taking money from the federal health budget to fund a commitment to treat ice addiction in Tasmania.
Liberal federal MP for Braddon Brett Whiteley yesterday announced $5.69 million as part of the Coalition’s “plan to combat the scourge of ice in our communities”.
“This money will provide much-needed services to people in our region that are grappling with ice addiction and substance misuse,” he said.
“It’s so important that we back local health and service providers that are tackling this problem head-on.”
The funding is part of the response to the Federal Government’s National Ice Taskforce report handed down in December last year.
But federal Labor MP for Franklin Julie Collins said the money was being funded from cuts to priority health areas.
“It is a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul and Brett Whiteley knows it,” she said.
“Short of tackling the scourge of ice, the Liberals’ cuts and mismanagement have led to a funding crisis in the treatment services sector.”
Ms Collins said the Coalition had cut nearly $1 billion from the Health Flexible Funds, which includes support for alcohol and illicit drug rehabilitation. But she was unable to say how much Labor would commit to the problem.
A Coalition spokesperson said drug surveys showed use of ice doubled under Labor between 2010 and 2013.
“The Coalition’s $300 million package is new money and is in addition to Federal drug and alcohol treatment funding, which was not cut in any way,’’ the spokesperson said.
It is unclear how much of the $5.69 million would go to treating ice addiction.
Source : The Mercury
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