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Health, schools on COAG leaders' agenda

School and hospital funding will be on the agenda for the next COAG meeting.

School children in a classroom
School and hospital funding will be on the agenda for the next COAG meeting in Canberra. (AAP)

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Source: AAP


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Malcolm Turnbull is expected to spell out his approach to school and hospital funding over the next week ahead of a meeting with the premiers.

The Council of Australian Governments meeting will be held in Canberra on April 1, not only involving the premiers and chief ministers but their treasurers as well.

"I will have more to say in the lead up to that relating to health and schools," the prime minister told ABC radio on Tuesday.

The premiers came to the previous COAG meeting in December with concerns that commonwealth funding for health was not keeping pace with demand for hospital services and was due to be pared back over the next decade.

The meeting, which was the first for Mr Turnbull, resolved that the April gathering should discuss a "long-term vision for health reform".

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The plan would include a new hospital funding scheme which could start as early as July 1, 2017, if agreement could be reached.

If the scheme cannot be agreed, there would be transition funding.

There would also be a focus on better ways to deal with patients with complex and chronic diseases.

The COAG will also discuss improving preschool education, lifting the quality of new teaching graduates and teachers and boosting science, technology, engineering and maths.

Another agenda item will be an agreement on "productivity payments" to states which roll out competition reform, in the wake of the Harper review.

State and territory treasurers are expected to present work on possible reform of their taxes and stamp duties.


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