Re-elected Member for Parkes Mark Coulton has confirmed a Coalition government will ensure the $25 million of funding for Dubbo’s cancer centre, even if it is a minority government.
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Mr Coulton said even if the Coalition was required to work with the crossbench, they would still control the treasury and would make it a reality.
The funding delivery was a key election promise for Mr Coulton, who was safely re-elected with a margin of 29.1 per cent.
Mr Coulton, who is beginning his fourth term in office, said Labor had not made any commitment to funding for the cancer centre.
“I’m not willing to make any predictions about which way things will go [forming a government] but if the coalition is returned, the cancer centre funding will be there,” he said.
“It is really just a waiting game to see how the results are going to work out and who is going to form government.”
Deputy Premier and state MP for Dubbo Troy Grant said people across the electorate, including himself, were very concerned about whether the federal funding would be available. He said he didn’t want Mr Coulton’s efforts to be in vain.
“My greatest worry is if the Coalition aren’t successful in forming a government on their own or a compromised minority government, where does that leave us with the cancer centre?” he said.
“I’ll be supporting Mark all the way in his push for a cancer centre but until the government outcome is known, it really is up in the air.
“If Labor get in, the commitment would fall back onto the health district and the state government and we will do our best but we will have to assess it and keep the community up to date.”
In March Mr Coulton said western NSW "still had huge problems" with lower life expectancy, particularly in Aboriginal communities.
He said Dubbo was a natural hub geographically and the city had the expertise to operate a specialist centre.
"This is a not a pipe dream," Mr Coulton said.
