Today I have joined my Labor colleagues in accusingthe Liberals and Nationals of using the sick as a cash cow, after revenue from hospital car parking fees jumped 11 per cent, topping $49.9 million the third multi-million increase in as many years.



My Labor colleagueRyan Park MP, Shadow Minister for Health has said: For a lot of people hospital parking fees are simply unaffordable. The Liberals and the Nationals are using the sick and their family as cash cows.



Parking fee revenue over the years:


2016-17: $39.8 million
2017-18: $44.9 million
2018-19: $49.9 million


High parking fees at hospitals and health centres makes it harder for people who are under financial pressure or living on a low income to receive medical treatment.



Ryan said Hospital parking fees are kind of a sick tax. People arent choosing to visit hospitals for fun. Theyre doing it because they have to. This just goes to show that if the Liberals and Nationals can wring an extra dollar out of you, they will.



Mr Park also called on Gladys Berejiklian to do the right thing, saying: Its Christmas. She should have a heart and look at reducing hospital parking fees. The Liberals and Nationals have cut $252 million from NSW Health this year. We dont want to see patients parking fees being used to fill in the Liberals and Nationals health budget black hole.