‘I am not going to be insulted’: Frydenberg and Ryan clash over Victorian hospital funding

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and independent candidate for Kooyong Monique Ryan have clashed at the Sky News Australia Kooyong People’s Forum debate over the government’s funding to Victorian hospitals.

"I’m leading a public hospital with an annual budget of $3.5 million to look after 45 staff and thousands of patients during an unprecedented pandemic, and let’s face it, public hospitals have been doing it pretty hard,” Ms Ryan said.

Ms Ryan said public hospitals need “more help than they have received” from the Morrison government, telling Mr Frydenberg: “you weren’t here”.

Mr Frydenberg argued that Ms Ryan was “entitled” to have a different opinion on issues but “can’t misrepresent other people’s views”.

He said the Morrison government has lifted funding for Victorian hospitals by more than 60 per cent.

“I’m not going to be insulted like that; my father is a surgeon … my sister’s a paediatrician at the Royal Children’s Hospital for more than 20 years, my uncle is a neurologist and has been the chair of the Australia Neurology Society for more than 20 years,” Mr Frydenberg said.

“I am the member for Kooyong, I am the Treasurer of Australia, and I have delivered economic support for Victoria, which is greater than any other state on a per capita basis.”