📰 Prime Minister Albanese commits $200 million to upgrade Perth hospital as healthcare takes center stage in federal election battle.
PM Albanese commits $200M to upgrade Perth hospital as healthcare becomes central battleground in federal election campaign against Coalition.
During his first campaign visit to Western Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has revealed a $200 million federal commitment to upgrade St John of God Midland Public Hospital, so highlighting healthcare as a major topic in the forthcoming federal election.
Part of a $355 million joint investment with the Cook Labour Government, the funding will provide notable upgrades to the public hospital serving Perth's northeastern suburbs and environs.
"We will invest $200 million to renovate and extend St John of God Midland Public Hospital to deliver more beds and a new emergency department," Albanese said during the announcement alongside WA Premier Roger Cook.
The comprehensive upgrade package includes 60 new medical and surgical beds, six additional intensive care unit beds, two new operating theaters, and redesigned obstetrics and neonatal facilities. The expansion will increase the hospital's ICU capacity from 12 to 18 beds, addressing critical healthcare infrastructure needs in the rapidly growing region.
Health Minister Mark Butler emphasized the government's track record of healthcare investment, contrasting it with the opposition's previous policy positions.
"When [Peter Dutton] came to government as the health minister, he tried to cut $50 billion from public hospitals," Butler claimed. "That would have cut more than $6 billion from Western Australia's public hospitals."
Premier Roger Cook, who committed an additional $50 million to the project during the announcement, framed the investment within his government's broader healthcare strategy.
"My vision for WA is for Western Australia to be the healthiest state in the nation," Cook said. "Our government's joint commitment today of $355 million to expand the Midland Health Campus is an important next step to ensure that the people in these northeastern suburbs get the health care they need when they need it."
Key Points:
Labor's $200 million funding forms part of a $355 million total hospital upgrade package
Project will add 60 new beds, expand ICU capacity by 50%, and build new operating theaters
Announcement positions healthcare as central battleground in federal election campaign
Investment targets Perth's growing northeastern suburbs, a potentially critical voting region
Why It Matters:
The major healthcare funding announcement demonstrates how domestic policy issues like hospital infrastructure and Medicare protection are taking precedence over international affairs in this election cycle. By making concrete investments in a battleground state, the government is attempting to create clear policy distinctions on essential services while addressing tangible voter concerns about healthcare access and emergency services in growth corridors.
Bottom Line:
Albanese's strategic hospital funding announcement in Western Australia represents a calculated campaign move that addresses genuine community needs while framing the election as a choice between service investment and potential cuts.
The focus on healthcare infrastructure in a key battleground state signals Labor's electoral strategy of protecting and expanding essential services to consolidate support in areas that could determine the election outcome.
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