Labor's proposed changes to the tax system around housing, income and investments, means Mr Shorten has a potentially sizeable war chest.
In early April, he announced a $2.8 billion Better Hospitals Fund which he claimed "will deliver more hospital beds and health care workers, more capital upgrades and tackle waiting lists".
Labor's proposed changes to the tax system around housing, income and investments, means Mr Shorten has a potentially sizeable war chest.
In early April, he announced a $2.8 billion Better Hospitals Fund which he claimed "will deliver more hospital beds and health care workers, more capital upgrades and tackle waiting lists".
This came after his $2.3 billion Medicare Cancer Plan. The package, announced in Labor's budget reply, included $600 million for diagnostic imaging and $500 million to cut public hospital wait times for cancer treatment.
Mr Shorten said it was "the most important investment in Medicare since Bob Hawke created it".
The Coalition has less money to play with, which it would argue is far more prudent.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison's $1.25 billion Community Health and Hospitals Program will "fund projects and services in every state and territory, supporting patient care while reducing pressure on community and hospital services".
The funding boost will go towards four key areas: specialist hospital services, drug and alcohol treatment, preventive, primary and chronic disease management; and mental health.
The Coalition had a big mental health spend in the April budget.
[The full story is available on the podcast above]
