❓ Mr L'Estrange questions the Minister for Health on actions taken to address corruption within the North Metropolitan Health Service following a CCC report. The Minister responds with anger and outlines steps taken, including inquiries and reviews.
AnsweredQoN 559Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORRUPTION AND CRIME
COMMISSION —NORTH METROPOLITAN HEALTH SERVICE — MISCONDUCT —
GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
559. Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the Corruption and Crime
Commission report into bribery and corruption within the North Metropolitan
Health Service, and I welcomed the ministerial statement earlier today.
(1) What action
has the minister taken to address key findings of the CCC to rectify the
policies and procedures to prevent this occurring again?
(2) What action
has the minister taken, or will take, against those who left or leave warning
signs unexplored?
(3) When a WA
Health inquiry finds misconduct, will the minister follow through with
disciplinary action and recoup public moneys?
COMMISSION —NORTH METROPOLITAN HEALTH SERVICE — MISCONDUCT —
GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
559. Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the Corruption and Crime
Commission report into bribery and corruption within the North Metropolitan
Health Service, and I welcomed the ministerial statement earlier today.
(1) What action
has the minister taken to address key findings of the CCC to rectify the
policies and procedures to prevent this occurring again?
(2) What action
has the minister taken, or will take, against those who left or leave warning
signs unexplored?
(3) When a WA
Health inquiry finds misconduct, will the minister follow through with
disciplinary action and recoup public moneys?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I
thank the member for the question. The CCC report is obviously a very
concerning development. It is a shock to any government to see a level of
distrust and conspiracy take place in the public sector amongst those who are
there to be trusted. It makes me angry. This is another issue that I, as
Minister for Health, am now left to clean up after the previous government.
Several members
interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr R.H. COOK : As if Perth
Children's Hospital was not tough enough; this is going to be my
biggest test yet.
Several members
interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr R.H. COOK : The point that
makes me most angry about this is that while we have these three obviously
untrustworthy and devious members of the public service, day in, day out we
have doctors and nurses working on the front line, working with limited
resources, as we strive to create a sustainable health system. It makes me
angry that on the one hand we have to implore these people to work hard and to
deliver health care to the sick, the ill and the injured, but at the same time
we have this devious and deceptive conduct of these public officers detracting
from their good work. I might add that the member for Churchlands made the
observation the other day that this was an indictment on the health sector. I say
to the member for Churchlands that there are 44 000 other people in the health
sector to whom he should be submitting apologies, because there are hardworking
doctors, nurses, allied health staff and administrative support staff who
provide their very best to the people of Western Australia. The member for
Churchlands should recant those words and issue an apology to the health
sector.
Going back to the question from the
member, the member asked what we were doing to rectify things and take action
against those who did not look into those issues. What was the third point,
member?
Mr S.K. L'Estrange :
The third part of the question was: when a WA Health inquiry finds misconduct,
will the minister follow through with disciplinary action and recoup public
moneys?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr R.H. COOK : Following the
revelations of the CCC, I wrote to the director general of Health and asked him
to advance a number of issues in relation to the points that the member for
Churchlands talks about. I asked him what policies and procedures are in place
today to make sure that that does not take place, which the CCC observed were
adequate and suitable, and how we can make sure that we are encouraging a culture
whereby people are vigilant about these things and constantly on their guard to
make sure that we safeguard public trust. I asked the director general to
report to me on these issues as a matter of urgency. Also, as the member observed,
we have just made clear that we are asking the Public Sector Commission to also
do a body of work to go across all government agencies and departments and look
at what work has been undertaken by the contractors who are part of this
conspiracy to make sure we have measures in place to examine those procurement
practices and that we are simply in a better position to move forward into the
future.
thank the member for the question. The CCC report is obviously a very
concerning development. It is a shock to any government to see a level of
distrust and conspiracy take place in the public sector amongst those who are
there to be trusted. It makes me angry. This is another issue that I, as
Minister for Health, am now left to clean up after the previous government.
Several members
interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr R.H. COOK : As if Perth
Children's Hospital was not tough enough; this is going to be my
biggest test yet.
Several members
interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr R.H. COOK : The point that
makes me most angry about this is that while we have these three obviously
untrustworthy and devious members of the public service, day in, day out we
have doctors and nurses working on the front line, working with limited
resources, as we strive to create a sustainable health system. It makes me
angry that on the one hand we have to implore these people to work hard and to
deliver health care to the sick, the ill and the injured, but at the same time
we have this devious and deceptive conduct of these public officers detracting
from their good work. I might add that the member for Churchlands made the
observation the other day that this was an indictment on the health sector. I say
to the member for Churchlands that there are 44 000 other people in the health
sector to whom he should be submitting apologies, because there are hardworking
doctors, nurses, allied health staff and administrative support staff who
provide their very best to the people of Western Australia. The member for
Churchlands should recant those words and issue an apology to the health
sector.
Going back to the question from the
member, the member asked what we were doing to rectify things and take action
against those who did not look into those issues. What was the third point,
member?
Mr S.K. L'Estrange :
The third part of the question was: when a WA Health inquiry finds misconduct,
will the minister follow through with disciplinary action and recoup public
moneys?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr R.H. COOK : Following the
revelations of the CCC, I wrote to the director general of Health and asked him
to advance a number of issues in relation to the points that the member for
Churchlands talks about. I asked him what policies and procedures are in place
today to make sure that that does not take place, which the CCC observed were
adequate and suitable, and how we can make sure that we are encouraging a culture
whereby people are vigilant about these things and constantly on their guard to
make sure that we safeguard public trust. I asked the director general to
report to me on these issues as a matter of urgency. Also, as the member observed,
we have just made clear that we are asking the Public Sector Commission to also
do a body of work to go across all government agencies and departments and look
at what work has been undertaken by the contractors who are part of this
conspiracy to make sure we have measures in place to examine those procurement
practices and that we are simply in a better position to move forward into the
future.
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