IT’S been revealed the federal government has slashed $8 million from drug treatment and prevention programs at the same time it’s established a national task force into the drug ice.
GREENS leader Richard Di Natale lashed out at the revelation during a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra on Monday.
“So we’ve got this ice task force established because we’ve got a huge problem with the ice epidemic and we’re cutting $7 million out of substance misuse programs?” he said.
The cuts were part of a measure announced in last year’s budget to slash $197 million from flexible funds – 16 funds which provide financing for programs, interest groups and not-for-profit organisations, such as the Butterfly Foundation and the Consumer Health Forum.
The hearing was told a total of $8.2 million was being cut in 2015/16 from substance misuse programs.
It comes after Prime Minister Tony Abbott in April established a task force to co-ordinate a national response to the “scourge” of the drug ice.
The $197 million is separate to fresh cuts announced in this year’s budget, to slash another $600 million from flexible funds over four years.
Health Department secretary Martin Bowles has confirmed indigenous health and medical indemnity programs won’t be hit by the $596.2 million cuts.
But he refused to confirm which programs will be affected, insisting the decision on which programs to “attack” will be made in coming months.
In the meantime, organisations have had their contracts extended for six or 12 months, Mr Bowles said.
Senator Di Natale slammed the department for failing to provide detail on which programs would continue beyond their contracts and how the decisions would be made, saying organisations were being left in “limbo” and were unable to hire staff.
There needed to be confidence that the cuts would have minimal impact on health service delivery.
“There are now a range of programs at the moment who are sweating on whether they will continue to exist,” he said.
“Half a billion dollars in cuts to programs and you’re going to tell me that’s not going to make a difference on the ground?”
Mr Bowles said it was ultimately the government’s decision which programs would be cut but acknowledged the cuts would impact on “someone, somewhere”.
Opposition health spokeswoman Catherine King said the worst of the cuts had been delayed until after the federal election.
She said the public deserved to know which community groups and organisations would be the target of the cuts.
WHAT’S BEING CUT FROM HEALTH PROGRAMS?
– $793 million over four years (combining the $197m announced in 2014/15 and the $596.2m in 2015/16)
That’s a total of:
– $105m in 2015/16
– $189.1m in 2016/17
– $258.9m in 2017/18
– $240.2m in 2018/19