❓ Ms. Dalton asks about regional healthcare infrastructure investments. Minister Sanderson responds by highlighting Labor's investments and criticising the opposition's policies as inadequate and inconsistent.
AnsweredQoN 664Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HEALTH — REGIONAL HOSPITALS
664. Ms L. DALTON to the Minister for Health:
I
refer to the Cook Labor government's record investment in healthcare
infrastructure across regional Western Australia.
(1) Can the minister update the
house on these important infrastructure projects happening across the state?
(2) Can the minister advise the house whether she is
aware of any alternative approaches to delivering world- class health
care for regional Western Australians?
664. Ms L. DALTON to the Minister for Health:
I
refer to the Cook Labor government's record investment in healthcare
infrastructure across regional Western Australia.
(1) Can the minister update the
house on these important infrastructure projects happening across the state?
(2) Can the minister advise the house whether she is
aware of any alternative approaches to delivering world- class health
care for regional Western Australians?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Geraldton for her question, and I thank her for her long
advocacy for the redevelopment of Geraldton Health Campus. We all know that the
first redevelopment was delivered under a Labor government, and the second —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Order, please! I am sure
that both the government and opposition want to get some more questions in today. I have not had the opportunity to shut down question time early so
far, so I am always open to that.
Ms A. SANDERSON : I have
touched a nerve with the Liberal Party and Nationals WA leaders. We all know
that the first redevelopment of the Geraldton Health Campus occurred under a Labor
government, and the second redevelopment is also happening under a Labor
government. A $166 million redevelopment is happening right now, offering an
expanded emergency department; new mental health facilities, including
inpatient mental health facilities; and a new ICU. There is not currently an
ICU at Geraldton. There will also be high-dependency units at the health
campus.
We also have Bunbury Regional
Hospital, member for Bunbury and our other south west members. That is $451 million—nearly
half a billion dollars—committed to the Bunbury Health Campus. It will
have an expanded emergency department, and maternity and mental health
facilities. That is on top of the 30 new beds that were already delivered 18 months
ago. It will also become a really important regional training centre for
healthcare workers—the first dedicated regional health training centre
in Western Australia.
We have Tom Price and Paraburdoo
hospitals and their major redevelopment in partnership with Rio Tinto. We are
reviewing tenders for those projects right now. For Laverton Hospital, member
for Kalgoorlie, the Cook Labor government is partnering with ADCO to deliver
forward works. We are in exclusive final negotiations with ADCO for the
delivery of that hospital.
We also have five regional projects
for which the tenders have closed: Halls Creek dialysis; Broome renal hostel;
the step-up, step-down facilities in South Hedland and Broome; and South
Hedland MRI. Regional communities know that only Labor governments genuinely
deliver regional health care.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms A. SANDERSON : These are projects that the Liberals
and Nationals WA failed to deliver in their eight and a half years in
government. In August this year, the Nationals announced its centrepiece
regional healthcare policy, called the regional health infrastructure fund, and
committed to projects that the government has already committed to. Its central
election policy is for projects that the Labor government has already committed
to. We have already committed to the $48 million Meekatharra redevelopment. Two
weeks later, the Liberals announced its policy, called the regional health
development initiative, and also announced similar projects. Both policies
would provide only $400 million for regional health infrastructure. This
government's health infrastructure program will cost $3.3 billion, with close to $1 billion to be spent
in regional Western Australia alone; the Liberals and Nationals are committing a fraction of that. This question is
reasonable: if the Liberals and Nationals win government next March ,
will both policies be put in place? Will it be $400 million each, or $800 million?
What are the priorities? The Nationals say that its priority is Meekatharra
Hospital; however, the Liberals say that its priority is Margaret River Hospital. Which one is it? Which of the two is a priority
for regional health care? What happened to their commitment to Tom Price?
That did not make it in there. That disappeared out of the policy.
On the patient assisted travel
scheme, we know that only the Labor government has substantially increased both
the fuel allowance and the accommodation allowance. One opposition party has
committed to increasing PATS and the other opposition party says it wants a review
into PATS. We still do not know what both of those parties stand for. The
community trusts the Labor government to look after their health system. They
are better off under Labor and under a public health system, because we invest
in the infrastructure and staff.
thank the member for Geraldton for her question, and I thank her for her long
advocacy for the redevelopment of Geraldton Health Campus. We all know that the
first redevelopment was delivered under a Labor government, and the second —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Order, please! I am sure
that both the government and opposition want to get some more questions in today. I have not had the opportunity to shut down question time early so
far, so I am always open to that.
Ms A. SANDERSON : I have
touched a nerve with the Liberal Party and Nationals WA leaders. We all know
that the first redevelopment of the Geraldton Health Campus occurred under a Labor
government, and the second redevelopment is also happening under a Labor
government. A $166 million redevelopment is happening right now, offering an
expanded emergency department; new mental health facilities, including
inpatient mental health facilities; and a new ICU. There is not currently an
ICU at Geraldton. There will also be high-dependency units at the health
campus.
We also have Bunbury Regional
Hospital, member for Bunbury and our other south west members. That is $451 million—nearly
half a billion dollars—committed to the Bunbury Health Campus. It will
have an expanded emergency department, and maternity and mental health
facilities. That is on top of the 30 new beds that were already delivered 18 months
ago. It will also become a really important regional training centre for
healthcare workers—the first dedicated regional health training centre
in Western Australia.
We have Tom Price and Paraburdoo
hospitals and their major redevelopment in partnership with Rio Tinto. We are
reviewing tenders for those projects right now. For Laverton Hospital, member
for Kalgoorlie, the Cook Labor government is partnering with ADCO to deliver
forward works. We are in exclusive final negotiations with ADCO for the
delivery of that hospital.
We also have five regional projects
for which the tenders have closed: Halls Creek dialysis; Broome renal hostel;
the step-up, step-down facilities in South Hedland and Broome; and South
Hedland MRI. Regional communities know that only Labor governments genuinely
deliver regional health care.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms A. SANDERSON : These are projects that the Liberals
and Nationals WA failed to deliver in their eight and a half years in
government. In August this year, the Nationals announced its centrepiece
regional healthcare policy, called the regional health infrastructure fund, and
committed to projects that the government has already committed to. Its central
election policy is for projects that the Labor government has already committed
to. We have already committed to the $48 million Meekatharra redevelopment. Two
weeks later, the Liberals announced its policy, called the regional health
development initiative, and also announced similar projects. Both policies
would provide only $400 million for regional health infrastructure. This
government's health infrastructure program will cost $3.3 billion, with close to $1 billion to be spent
in regional Western Australia alone; the Liberals and Nationals are committing a fraction of that. This question is
reasonable: if the Liberals and Nationals win government next March ,
will both policies be put in place? Will it be $400 million each, or $800 million?
What are the priorities? The Nationals say that its priority is Meekatharra
Hospital; however, the Liberals say that its priority is Margaret River Hospital. Which one is it? Which of the two is a priority
for regional health care? What happened to their commitment to Tom Price?
That did not make it in there. That disappeared out of the policy.
On the patient assisted travel
scheme, we know that only the Labor government has substantially increased both
the fuel allowance and the accommodation allowance. One opposition party has
committed to increasing PATS and the other opposition party says it wants a review
into PATS. We still do not know what both of those parties stand for. The
community trusts the Labor government to look after their health system. They
are better off under Labor and under a public health system, because we invest
in the infrastructure and staff.
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