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Fragment    Next Fragment Wednesday, 23 October 2002 Page: 8533
Mr BILLSON (9:58 AM) —The Health Care (Appropriation) Amendment
Bill 2002 proposes to amend the Health Care Appropriation Act
1998. The good news is that this amendment is designed to
facilitate the paying of a greater amount of funds to the states
and territories for their public hospitals. The act provides the
legislative basis for those Commonwealth grants under the
financial assistance package negotiated as part of the 1998-2003
Australian health care agreements. That health care agreement
processes the main way in which Commonwealth funds are funnelled
to the states and territories for the provision of health care
for all of our constituents, for all of our communities.
Primarily, funding through this agreement from the federal
government goes to funding public hospitals.  It is important to
note that what has given rise to the need for