A WASTED $238M THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN USED TO IMPROVE ACT HEALTH SERVICES

Leanne Castley MLA

Leader of the ACT Liberals

Media Release

19 February 2025

Revelations that the long-suffering ACT taxpayer is facing another multi-million-dollar IT project bungle should raise alarms bells, with $238 million wasted on projects that could otherwise be used to improve health services in the ACT.

The Auditor-General has warned that the digital health record system is likely to be as much as $160 million over budget.  This is on top of the failed human resource system upgrade that cost $78 million.

At this stage, the cost of these two failures is $238 million.  That’s $238 million that should have been spent on doctors, nurses, health care professionals and better facilities to improve health services to Canberrans.

Canberra Liberals Leader Leanne Castley said today that the management of the health system in the ACT was a mess and has put responsibility for the cost blow-out directly at the feet of Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith.

“Just two weeks ago, the ACT Labor Government came to the Legislative Assembly seeking approval for an increase in the health budget to the tune of $220 million,” Ms Castley said.

“Yet today it’s revealed that have pretty much wasted over $230 million on these failed projects.  When is enough, enough?

“The latest revelations of wasted taxpayer money is extraordinary when even the Minister admits the health system is stretched.  The wasted $238 million should have been spent on delivering better health services.

“$238 million can pay for a lot of doctors and nurses, health to reduce wait times at emergency departments, it can also pay for surgeons to reduce wait times for elective surgery.

Ms Castley said she was looking forward to holding the Health Minister to account for her failures in the Annual Report hearings tomorrow.