Senator LUDWIG (Queensland—Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Minister Assisting on Queensland Floods Recovery) (14:37): I thank Senator Marshall for his question, and I am sure Senator Ryan is listening. This government is acting in patients' interests and investing strongly in our health system. The Commonwealth is providing Victoria with significant additional funding under the National Health Reform Agreement, which I am sure Senator Ryan would agree with. In 2012-13, the federal government provided $3.6 billion in total health funding to Victoria. In 2015-16, health funding will rise to $4.5 billion. It will rise to $4.5 billion. This means the Victorian public hospital system will receive over $900 million—$900 million—in additional funding from the Gillard government over the next four years. Senator Payne: If you keep saying it twice, does it add up to twice as much? Senator LUDWIG: I say it twice because those opposite did not hear it the first time, nor the second time. On top of this, the federal government last week announced a $107 million rescue package to be paid directly to Victorian hospitals. Why? Because we are acting to ensure patients can access the services they need by delivering this $107 million cash injection to the Victorian hospital system so that it can immediately restore services that have been shut down by Premier Baillieu's government. This is in stark contrast to $616 million that Premier Baillieu's government have slashed from health care. They took $616 million out of health care. Senator Ryan should be writing to Premier Baillieu and demanding where that $616 million went, because they have slashed funding for patients, and patients are suffering as a consequence of those severe cuts. (Time expired)