12 December 2018 - Prime Minister Scott Morrison will unveil a $1.25 billion offer to fund cancer treatment, drug and alcohol clinics, chronic disease programs and other services in a dramatic policy move to fend off Labor accusations of cuts to hospitals and healthcare.

Mr Morrison will take the plan to the meeting of state and territory leaders on Wednesday amid a stand-off with Labor governments in Victoria and Queensland, which are refusing to sign a new hospital funding deal on the grounds it does not offer enough new cash.

The funding boost aims to leapfrog Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in a vital policy contest ahead of next year's federal election, offering an estimated $486 million more than the equivalent Labor program over the next four years.

Read Sydney Morning Herald article