Anthony Albanese has been grilled over a “delayed” hospital investment announcement in Darwin – as he was accused of short changing territorians.
The Prime Minister on Monday announced $10 million in funding for upgrades to the maternity unit at the Royal Darwin Hospital.
The Northern Territory government requested more than three times that figure for the project in May 2025.
Asked about the more than 12-month “delay”, the Prime Minister hit back at the local journalists.
“Why the delay? … It’s a very strange question,” Mr Albanese said.
“We’re for an announcement. $10 million on top of what we had was the billion dollars of additional hospital funding that was negotiated out through the National Cabinet process.”
Then, Mr Albanese was asked why just $10 million was provided, given the territory had asked for $35 million initially.
Mr Albanese said: “No, they’re happy with $10 million. You just heard the announcement. This is enough.”
Further pressed he added: “You’re getting record funding. Thirty per cent increase last year in hospital funding year-on-year”.
Sky News’ Matt Cunningham highlighted the territory also had “record needs”.
Mr Albanese said a 30 per cent year-on-year increase to any budget was “substantial”.
Another reporter said the hospital was “literally falling apart”, and asked if the Albanese government would fund another hospital in Darwin.
Mr Albanese again insisted he was in Darwin to announce only the $10 million injection before pushing back again.
Under the upgrade, birthing and maternity wards will have more capacity, including single rooms and space for visiting families.
Completion is expected by 2027.
The 46-year-old hospital currently has no private maternity services.
NT Health Minister Steve Edgington asked the government for a $35 million injection for “modifications” to the maternity ward in May last year.
Later in the year, NT Health’s CEO, Chris Hosking, revealed the reasoning behind the figure at a business forum.
He also told the forum receiving $35 million seemed unlikely following negotiations with federal Health Minister Mark Butler.
“To be really clear the $35 million would have allowed us to co-locate all maternity within Royal Darwin,” he said at the time, per NT News.
“We won’t be able to do that for a third of that, but it could go a long way to making the experience better for people.
“We’re still pressing for a higher round, but I don’t know how successful that will be.”
He said Mr Butler had been “agreeable” to estimates more in line with funding provided to “several other states”.
On Monday, Mr Albanese sought to connect the $10 million injection to a dual-facility project on the Central Coast of New South Wales.
NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro, Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy, Special Envoy for Defence Luke Gosling, and Mr Edgington were also present for the announcement.