Government misled NSW public, says Shadow Minister
THE NSW Government has been caught out misleading the NSW public about the true cost of the State’s psychiatrist crisis, says. Shadow Minister for Mental Health Robyn Preston and NSW Member for Hawkesbury.
“The government has claimed it would cost $700M to meet the psychiatrists’ salary demands. However internal briefing documents from NSW Health’s own Chief Medical Workforce Adviser tell a different story, revealing the cost of lifting psychiatrist pay would be just $24.9M a year from 2025,” Ms Preston said.
The revelations come from documents never meant to see the light of day. It took pressure in Parliament to expose them, a reminder that without scrutiny, this government won’t tell the truth, Mr Preston said.
Opposition Leader Mark Speakman in mental health, the cost of secrecy is real – delayed care, missed diagnoses and putting lives at risk.
Ms Preston the said Minister didn’t just get the numbers wrong — she misled the public.
“The cost of fixing this crisis is clear. The government’s own advice proves it. But instead of taking responsibility, the Minister pushed a false figure that scared the public and gave her an excuse to do nothing,” Ms Preston said.
Shadow Minister for Health Kellie Sloane said this isn’t just about costings — it’s about credibility.
“We now know the Minister had internal advice showing a fix was affordable. She said the opposite in public. That’s a trust breach, plain and simple,” Ms Sloane said.
Mental health care doesn’t get fixed by exaggerating the numbers. It gets fixed by telling the truth and getting on with the job. That’s what the community expects — and it’s what this government has failed to deliver.”
The NSW Opposition is calling for the NSW Government to release all relevant costings, including the full annual cost of VMOs (casuals).
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