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Labor’S Dental Policy A ‘Field Of Dreams’

Not one extra dentist will be provided by Labor’s country Victoria dental policy announced today.

By Parliment of Victoria - 8th November 2006 - Back to News

Shadow Minister for Health Helen Shardey said Labor’s promise to 'invest $14.5 million to establish [a] new dental school in regional Victoria and also fund an additional 30 dental chairs in new teaching clinics in three locations including 10 chairs in Wodonga' was worthless.

"Labor's chairs will be shiny and new but what isn't clear is where Labor will get the dentists to operate them," Ms Shardey said.

"We also do not know where the students for this new dental school are going to come from, since Labor has declined to pay for any additional dental students.

"Unless the Commonwealth funds extra places the school will sit empty."

Ms Shardey said Labor’s policy could be described as the 'Field of Dreams' approach to policy planning, spending money on a building without student places in the hope that they will come.

In contrast a Liberal government will take responsibility for Victoria's dental shortages.

"We will spend $3.4m provide scholarships for 10 additional University places for dentistry," Ms Shardey said.

"Students who accept the scholarships will be bonded to rural practise for five of their first eight years of practice.

"In addition we will spend $30 million reducing Victoria's public dental waiting list which are static at nearly two years."

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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