Does anyone else find it strange that the CDDS was never included in the forward estimates?
From http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/govt-adds-4bil-to-dental-scheme/story-e6frfku9-1226460586896
The $4.1 billion over six years is all "new money" according to the minister - but not everyone agrees. Labor will close the former Howard coalition government's chronic disease dental scheme (CDDS), which costs around $1 billion a year, by December, delivering an overall saving of more than $2 billion by 2020.
But Ms Plibersek pointed out the CDDS spend wasn't included in the budget papers. "(So) this is new money we will have to find," she told reporters in Sydney, adding that Labor's surplus commitment remained "absolutely rock solid".
What a shame this government is hell bent on driving class warfare through the heart of the Australian public.
But Sydney University's head of oral medicine Hans Zoellner insisted the CDDS was "fantastically successful", with 1.5 million people treated since late 2007 at a total cost of $2.7 billion.
Ohh and Ms Gillard, your maths is out. The scheme has cost 2.7b over nearly 5 years, not 1 billion a year.
