A heated exchange in WA Parliament where Mr. Cook questions Dr. Hames' fitness to hold the health portfolio due to alleged misspending and misleading the house. Dr. Hames deflects with a personal attack.

AnsweredQoN 917Legislative Assembly
Asked
19 November 2009
Portfolio
Health

QuestionView source ↗

LIVING WITH DIABETES PROGRAM
I have a supplementary question. Given that in the past week the minister has been accused of misspending $25 million — Several members interjected. Mr R.H. COOK : — and misled the house twice — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I want to hear the question so that I can make a decision on whether it is a supplementary question. That is the opportunity I need to be given before members to my right make decisions for themselves. Mr R.H. COOK : Given that the minister has misspent public moneys and misled the house twice in the past week, why is he fit to hold the health portfolio? Dr K.D. HAMES

AnswerView source ↗

We used to have a really good Minister for Health — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : We used to have a really good Attorney General when members opposite were on this side of the house. Sadly for their side, members opposite lost the person with that enormous area of expertise and what they have instead is a wet-behind-the-ears spin doctor who could not even spell “hysterectomy” let alone know how to do one!
Several members interjected. Mr R.H. COOK : — and misled the house twice — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I want to hear the question so that I can make a decision on whether it is a supplementary question. That is the opportunity I need to be given before members to my right make decisions for themselves. Mr R.H. COOK : Given that the minister has misspent public moneys and misled the house twice in the past week, why is he fit to hold the health portfolio? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: We used to have a really good Minister for Health — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : We used to have a really good Attorney General when members opposite were on this side of the house. Sadly for their side, members opposite lost the person with that enormous area of expertise and what they have instead is a wet-behind-the-ears spin doctor who could not even spell “hysterectomy” let alone know how to do one!
Mr R.H. COOK : — and misled the house twice — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I want to hear the question so that I can make a decision on whether it is a supplementary question. That is the opportunity I need to be given before members to my right make decisions for themselves. Mr R.H. COOK : Given that the minister has misspent public moneys and misled the house twice in the past week, why is he fit to hold the health portfolio? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: We used to have a really good Minister for Health — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : We used to have a really good Attorney General when members opposite were on this side of the house. Sadly for their side, members opposite lost the person with that enormous area of expertise and what they have instead is a wet-behind-the-ears spin doctor who could not even spell “hysterectomy” let alone know how to do one!
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I want to hear the question so that I can make a decision on whether it is a supplementary question. That is the opportunity I need to be given before members to my right make decisions for themselves. Mr R.H. COOK : Given that the minister has misspent public moneys and misled the house twice in the past week, why is he fit to hold the health portfolio? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: We used to have a really good Minister for Health — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : We used to have a really good Attorney General when members opposite were on this side of the house. Sadly for their side, members opposite lost the person with that enormous area of expertise and what they have instead is a wet-behind-the-ears spin doctor who could not even spell “hysterectomy” let alone know how to do one!
The SPEAKER : I want to hear the question so that I can make a decision on whether it is a supplementary question. That is the opportunity I need to be given before members to my right make decisions for themselves. Mr R.H. COOK : Given that the minister has misspent public moneys and misled the house twice in the past week, why is he fit to hold the health portfolio? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: We used to have a really good Minister for Health — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : We used to have a really good Attorney General when members opposite were on this side of the house. Sadly for their side, members opposite lost the person with that enormous area of expertise and what they have instead is a wet-behind-the-ears spin doctor who could not even spell “hysterectomy” let alone know how to do one!
Mr R.H. COOK : Given that the minister has misspent public moneys and misled the house twice in the past week, why is he fit to hold the health portfolio? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: We used to have a really good Minister for Health — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : We used to have a really good Attorney General when members opposite were on this side of the house. Sadly for their side, members opposite lost the person with that enormous area of expertise and what they have instead is a wet-behind-the-ears spin doctor who could not even spell “hysterectomy” let alone know how to do one!
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: We used to have a really good Minister for Health — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : We used to have a really good Attorney General when members opposite were on this side of the house. Sadly for their side, members opposite lost the person with that enormous area of expertise and what they have instead is a wet-behind-the-ears spin doctor who could not even spell “hysterectomy” let alone know how to do one!
We used to have a really good Minister for Health — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : We used to have a really good Attorney General when members opposite were on this side of the house. Sadly for their side, members opposite lost the person with that enormous area of expertise and what they have instead is a wet-behind-the-ears spin doctor who could not even spell “hysterectomy” let alone know how to do one!
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : We used to have a really good Attorney General when members opposite were on this side of the house. Sadly for their side, members opposite lost the person with that enormous area of expertise and what they have instead is a wet-behind-the-ears spin doctor who could not even spell “hysterectomy” let alone know how to do one!
The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : We used to have a really good Attorney General when members opposite were on this side of the house. Sadly for their side, members opposite lost the person with that enormous area of expertise and what they have instead is a wet-behind-the-ears spin doctor who could not even spell “hysterectomy” let alone know how to do one!
Dr K.D. HAMES : We used to have a really good Attorney General when members opposite were on this side of the house. Sadly for their side, members opposite lost the person with that enormous area of expertise and what they have instead is a wet-behind-the-ears spin doctor who could not even spell “hysterectomy” let alone know how to do one!

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