Australia’s federal centre-left Labor government has agreed to extend the current COVID-19 health funding arrangement for states until the end of the year, meaning the 50-50 funding commitment between the states and Commonwealth, due to expire at the end of September, will remain in place.
This means that the federal government will be contributing an extra $760 million towards supporting Australia’s state and territory health systems.
The decision was announced at the first cabinet meeting of the new government and came after state premiers and chief ministers unanimously called for the continued commitment to state health funding by the federal government, due to ongoing pressures on the hospital systems in their respective states and territories….