The Garvan and St Vincent’s Hospital today welcomed Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Minister for Health Nicola Roxon to the campus to formally acknowledge the Federal Government’s $70 million capital grant for the Garvan St Vincent’s Cancer Centre. Following a visit to the Hospital’s chemotherapy unit, the Prime Minister and Health Minister viewed a large scale model of the new Centre at the Garvan. Prof Allan Spigelman, Director of Cancer Services at St Vincent’s and Assoc Prof Sue Henshall from Garvan’s Cancer program were on hand to explain the vision of the Centre and the benefits of an integrated environment for researchers and clinicians. To mark the occasion the Garvan and St Vincent’s Chairmen, Bill Ferris AC and Paul Robertson donned hard hats and mallets to strike the first blow, knocking out the first brick to begin the demolition process of existing buildings on the site.