Victoria 'the state of secrecy', says federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek TALKS between federal and state ministers about Victoria's hospital funding cuts that have seen staff axed and beds closed have ended with no new deal. State Health Minister David Davis accused the Gillard Government of using "slippery and flawed population" figures to justify a $107 million cut to hospital funding. Federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said Victoria was running a heartless political campaign to cover up its own cuts to elective surgery. She said Victoria was "the state of secrecy" after a report by the public hospital funding administrator showed it was the only state not to provide a break down on how much it spent on emergency departments, mental health, small hospital sub-acute beds and other costs. Mr Davis released an independent analysis by KPMG and letters from the Bureau of Statistics which he said backed his argument that Treasurer Wayne Swan had used wrong population figures in calculating the funding and caused $475 million to be slashed over four years. "It's a flawed, dodgy calculation that strips money directly from patients," Mr Davis said. Ms Plibersek seized on other figures that showed a cut of 3493 elective surgery procedures in Victoria despite extra federal money over the past two years. She said Victoria had cut its funding by $616 million. "It's a deliberately heartless political campaign to cover their own cuts and maximise pain for patients," she said.