WA premier criticised for skipping budget crisis meeting to 'watch football'

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/19/colin-barnett-missed-budget-crisis-meeting

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The opposition in Western Australia has taken aim at the premier, Colin Barnett, for missing a crisis meeting of his state and territory counterparts to discuss the federal government's planned public hospital funding cuts.

Labor also criticised Barnett for saying the cuts wouldn’t kick in for several years, with WA hospitals facing a $196m reduction in funding over four years from July 1.

"Mr Barnett has been saying ‘it's four years away, there's nothing to worry about'. This is not a problem that is a long way away in the future. This is on us now," Mark McGowan, the WA opposition leader, told reporters on Monday.

"There needs to be a sense of urgency about addressing this.

McGowan said Barnett's non-attendance was "reprehensible and unforgivable", and his priorities were out of whack, given he reportedly attended a Hugh Jackman event and a football game instead.

"Originally, I thought it was just slackness and laziness. Now I think it's irresponsibility.

"He should have been on an aircraft to Sydney to argue the case for the state.

"This is going to impact people's lives."

A spokesman for the premier said last week that the best forum to discuss the matter was the next Council of Australian Governments (Coag) meeting, which he would attend.

Catherine King, Labor’s health spokeswoman, said it was extraordinary that the first time the state premiers heard about the "cruel" cuts was two hours before the budget was handed down.

"It is a complete contempt of states and territories," King said.

"It's a shame the Western Australian premier doesn't appear to be as angry as the other states."

She said Labor was committed to fighting the cuts.