❓ Mr. Stephens questions the Minister for Health about ensuring dialysis patients in Port Hedland have access to hygienic living conditions. Dr. Hames responds that the Health Department's primary responsibility is hospital care, and other departments handle community support.
AnsweredQoN 484Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PORT HEDLAND — DIALYSIS TREATMENT FACILITIES
I have a quick supplementary question, if you would not mind, Mr Speaker. The SPEAKER : I do not mind at all. Mr T.G. STEPHENS : What is the minister doing with his officers to make sure that there are people working with those people in those conditions so that they are accessing hygienic living conditions, and to make sure that his officers are doing their job to make sure that those people are accessing hygienic living conditions? Dr K.D. HAMES
I have a quick supplementary question, if you would not mind, Mr Speaker. The SPEAKER : I do not mind at all. Mr T.G. STEPHENS : What is the minister doing with his officers to make sure that there are people working with those people in those conditions so that they are accessing hygienic living conditions, and to make sure that his officers are doing their job to make sure that those people are accessing hygienic living conditions? Dr K.D. HAMES
AnswerView source ↗
The member well knows that the responsibility of the health department in this state is to provide, largely, for hospital care. We also provide lots of primary care. Other ministers have responsibility for community support and there are support mechanisms through other government departments to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : The responsibility of the health department is to look after those patients in the hospital. It is not the responsibility — Mr T.G. Stephens : Your standards have changed. You gave our government a battering over Halls Creek, compared with now in similar circumstances in Port Hedland, where it’s everybody else’s fault. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, I am not saying that. On the issue in Halls Creek, the blame was never sheeted by me to the then Minister for Health. I did not suggest in any way that the then Minister for Health should send his staff out of Halls Creek District Hospital to deal with the issues of those patients. It was the former Minister for Housing sitting on the opposition front bench now who had significant responsibility for that. I know she went there, as did the former Minister for Community Services who members may remember did not want to get out of her bus. They were the ones who had responsibility for providing that support. It is a government responsibility, state and federal—and local member responsibility too, I would suggest. If it was in my electorate, I would be out there trying to work with government departments to make sure that support was provided.
The SPEAKER : I do not mind at all. Mr T.G. STEPHENS : What is the minister doing with his officers to make sure that there are people working with those people in those conditions so that they are accessing hygienic living conditions, and to make sure that his officers are doing their job to make sure that those people are accessing hygienic living conditions? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: The member well knows that the responsibility of the health department in this state is to provide, largely, for hospital care. We also provide lots of primary care. Other ministers have responsibility for community support and there are support mechanisms through other government departments to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : The responsibility of the health department is to look after those patients in the hospital. It is not the responsibility — Mr T.G. Stephens : Your standards have changed. You gave our government a battering over Halls Creek, compared with now in similar circumstances in Port Hedland, where it’s everybody else’s fault. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, I am not saying that. On the issue in Halls Creek, the blame was never sheeted by me to the then Minister for Health. I did not suggest in any way that the then Minister for Health should send his staff out of Halls Creek District Hospital to deal with the issues of those patients. It was the former Minister for Housing sitting on the opposition front bench now who had significant responsibility for that. I know she went there, as did the former Minister for Community Services who members may remember did not want to get out of her bus. They were the ones who had responsibility for providing that support. It is a government responsibility, state and federal—and local member responsibility too, I would suggest. If it was in my electorate, I would be out there trying to work with government departments to make sure that support was provided.
Mr T.G. STEPHENS : What is the minister doing with his officers to make sure that there are people working with those people in those conditions so that they are accessing hygienic living conditions, and to make sure that his officers are doing their job to make sure that those people are accessing hygienic living conditions? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: The member well knows that the responsibility of the health department in this state is to provide, largely, for hospital care. We also provide lots of primary care. Other ministers have responsibility for community support and there are support mechanisms through other government departments to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : The responsibility of the health department is to look after those patients in the hospital. It is not the responsibility — Mr T.G. Stephens : Your standards have changed. You gave our government a battering over Halls Creek, compared with now in similar circumstances in Port Hedland, where it’s everybody else’s fault. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, I am not saying that. On the issue in Halls Creek, the blame was never sheeted by me to the then Minister for Health. I did not suggest in any way that the then Minister for Health should send his staff out of Halls Creek District Hospital to deal with the issues of those patients. It was the former Minister for Housing sitting on the opposition front bench now who had significant responsibility for that. I know she went there, as did the former Minister for Community Services who members may remember did not want to get out of her bus. They were the ones who had responsibility for providing that support. It is a government responsibility, state and federal—and local member responsibility too, I would suggest. If it was in my electorate, I would be out there trying to work with government departments to make sure that support was provided.
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: The member well knows that the responsibility of the health department in this state is to provide, largely, for hospital care. We also provide lots of primary care. Other ministers have responsibility for community support and there are support mechanisms through other government departments to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : The responsibility of the health department is to look after those patients in the hospital. It is not the responsibility — Mr T.G. Stephens : Your standards have changed. You gave our government a battering over Halls Creek, compared with now in similar circumstances in Port Hedland, where it’s everybody else’s fault. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, I am not saying that. On the issue in Halls Creek, the blame was never sheeted by me to the then Minister for Health. I did not suggest in any way that the then Minister for Health should send his staff out of Halls Creek District Hospital to deal with the issues of those patients. It was the former Minister for Housing sitting on the opposition front bench now who had significant responsibility for that. I know she went there, as did the former Minister for Community Services who members may remember did not want to get out of her bus. They were the ones who had responsibility for providing that support. It is a government responsibility, state and federal—and local member responsibility too, I would suggest. If it was in my electorate, I would be out there trying to work with government departments to make sure that support was provided.
The member well knows that the responsibility of the health department in this state is to provide, largely, for hospital care. We also provide lots of primary care. Other ministers have responsibility for community support and there are support mechanisms through other government departments to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : The responsibility of the health department is to look after those patients in the hospital. It is not the responsibility — Mr T.G. Stephens : Your standards have changed. You gave our government a battering over Halls Creek, compared with now in similar circumstances in Port Hedland, where it’s everybody else’s fault. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, I am not saying that. On the issue in Halls Creek, the blame was never sheeted by me to the then Minister for Health. I did not suggest in any way that the then Minister for Health should send his staff out of Halls Creek District Hospital to deal with the issues of those patients. It was the former Minister for Housing sitting on the opposition front bench now who had significant responsibility for that. I know she went there, as did the former Minister for Community Services who members may remember did not want to get out of her bus. They were the ones who had responsibility for providing that support. It is a government responsibility, state and federal—and local member responsibility too, I would suggest. If it was in my electorate, I would be out there trying to work with government departments to make sure that support was provided.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : The responsibility of the health department is to look after those patients in the hospital. It is not the responsibility — Mr T.G. Stephens : Your standards have changed. You gave our government a battering over Halls Creek, compared with now in similar circumstances in Port Hedland, where it’s everybody else’s fault. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, I am not saying that. On the issue in Halls Creek, the blame was never sheeted by me to the then Minister for Health. I did not suggest in any way that the then Minister for Health should send his staff out of Halls Creek District Hospital to deal with the issues of those patients. It was the former Minister for Housing sitting on the opposition front bench now who had significant responsibility for that. I know she went there, as did the former Minister for Community Services who members may remember did not want to get out of her bus. They were the ones who had responsibility for providing that support. It is a government responsibility, state and federal—and local member responsibility too, I would suggest. If it was in my electorate, I would be out there trying to work with government departments to make sure that support was provided.
The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : The responsibility of the health department is to look after those patients in the hospital. It is not the responsibility — Mr T.G. Stephens : Your standards have changed. You gave our government a battering over Halls Creek, compared with now in similar circumstances in Port Hedland, where it’s everybody else’s fault. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, I am not saying that. On the issue in Halls Creek, the blame was never sheeted by me to the then Minister for Health. I did not suggest in any way that the then Minister for Health should send his staff out of Halls Creek District Hospital to deal with the issues of those patients. It was the former Minister for Housing sitting on the opposition front bench now who had significant responsibility for that. I know she went there, as did the former Minister for Community Services who members may remember did not want to get out of her bus. They were the ones who had responsibility for providing that support. It is a government responsibility, state and federal—and local member responsibility too, I would suggest. If it was in my electorate, I would be out there trying to work with government departments to make sure that support was provided.
Dr K.D. HAMES : The responsibility of the health department is to look after those patients in the hospital. It is not the responsibility — Mr T.G. Stephens : Your standards have changed. You gave our government a battering over Halls Creek, compared with now in similar circumstances in Port Hedland, where it’s everybody else’s fault. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, I am not saying that. On the issue in Halls Creek, the blame was never sheeted by me to the then Minister for Health. I did not suggest in any way that the then Minister for Health should send his staff out of Halls Creek District Hospital to deal with the issues of those patients. It was the former Minister for Housing sitting on the opposition front bench now who had significant responsibility for that. I know she went there, as did the former Minister for Community Services who members may remember did not want to get out of her bus. They were the ones who had responsibility for providing that support. It is a government responsibility, state and federal—and local member responsibility too, I would suggest. If it was in my electorate, I would be out there trying to work with government departments to make sure that support was provided.
Mr T.G. Stephens : Your standards have changed. You gave our government a battering over Halls Creek, compared with now in similar circumstances in Port Hedland, where it’s everybody else’s fault. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, I am not saying that. On the issue in Halls Creek, the blame was never sheeted by me to the then Minister for Health. I did not suggest in any way that the then Minister for Health should send his staff out of Halls Creek District Hospital to deal with the issues of those patients. It was the former Minister for Housing sitting on the opposition front bench now who had significant responsibility for that. I know she went there, as did the former Minister for Community Services who members may remember did not want to get out of her bus. They were the ones who had responsibility for providing that support. It is a government responsibility, state and federal—and local member responsibility too, I would suggest. If it was in my electorate, I would be out there trying to work with government departments to make sure that support was provided.
Dr K.D. HAMES : No, I am not saying that. On the issue in Halls Creek, the blame was never sheeted by me to the then Minister for Health. I did not suggest in any way that the then Minister for Health should send his staff out of Halls Creek District Hospital to deal with the issues of those patients. It was the former Minister for Housing sitting on the opposition front bench now who had significant responsibility for that. I know she went there, as did the former Minister for Community Services who members may remember did not want to get out of her bus. They were the ones who had responsibility for providing that support. It is a government responsibility, state and federal—and local member responsibility too, I would suggest. If it was in my electorate, I would be out there trying to work with government departments to make sure that support was provided.
The SPEAKER : I do not mind at all. Mr T.G. STEPHENS : What is the minister doing with his officers to make sure that there are people working with those people in those conditions so that they are accessing hygienic living conditions, and to make sure that his officers are doing their job to make sure that those people are accessing hygienic living conditions? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: The member well knows that the responsibility of the health department in this state is to provide, largely, for hospital care. We also provide lots of primary care. Other ministers have responsibility for community support and there are support mechanisms through other government departments to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : The responsibility of the health department is to look after those patients in the hospital. It is not the responsibility — Mr T.G. Stephens : Your standards have changed. You gave our government a battering over Halls Creek, compared with now in similar circumstances in Port Hedland, where it’s everybody else’s fault. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, I am not saying that. On the issue in Halls Creek, the blame was never sheeted by me to the then Minister for Health. I did not suggest in any way that the then Minister for Health should send his staff out of Halls Creek District Hospital to deal with the issues of those patients. It was the former Minister for Housing sitting on the opposition front bench now who had significant responsibility for that. I know she went there, as did the former Minister for Community Services who members may remember did not want to get out of her bus. They were the ones who had responsibility for providing that support. It is a government responsibility, state and federal—and local member responsibility too, I would suggest. If it was in my electorate, I would be out there trying to work with government departments to make sure that support was provided.
Mr T.G. STEPHENS : What is the minister doing with his officers to make sure that there are people working with those people in those conditions so that they are accessing hygienic living conditions, and to make sure that his officers are doing their job to make sure that those people are accessing hygienic living conditions? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: The member well knows that the responsibility of the health department in this state is to provide, largely, for hospital care. We also provide lots of primary care. Other ministers have responsibility for community support and there are support mechanisms through other government departments to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : The responsibility of the health department is to look after those patients in the hospital. It is not the responsibility — Mr T.G. Stephens : Your standards have changed. You gave our government a battering over Halls Creek, compared with now in similar circumstances in Port Hedland, where it’s everybody else’s fault. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, I am not saying that. On the issue in Halls Creek, the blame was never sheeted by me to the then Minister for Health. I did not suggest in any way that the then Minister for Health should send his staff out of Halls Creek District Hospital to deal with the issues of those patients. It was the former Minister for Housing sitting on the opposition front bench now who had significant responsibility for that. I know she went there, as did the former Minister for Community Services who members may remember did not want to get out of her bus. They were the ones who had responsibility for providing that support. It is a government responsibility, state and federal—and local member responsibility too, I would suggest. If it was in my electorate, I would be out there trying to work with government departments to make sure that support was provided.
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: The member well knows that the responsibility of the health department in this state is to provide, largely, for hospital care. We also provide lots of primary care. Other ministers have responsibility for community support and there are support mechanisms through other government departments to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : The responsibility of the health department is to look after those patients in the hospital. It is not the responsibility — Mr T.G. Stephens : Your standards have changed. You gave our government a battering over Halls Creek, compared with now in similar circumstances in Port Hedland, where it’s everybody else’s fault. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, I am not saying that. On the issue in Halls Creek, the blame was never sheeted by me to the then Minister for Health. I did not suggest in any way that the then Minister for Health should send his staff out of Halls Creek District Hospital to deal with the issues of those patients. It was the former Minister for Housing sitting on the opposition front bench now who had significant responsibility for that. I know she went there, as did the former Minister for Community Services who members may remember did not want to get out of her bus. They were the ones who had responsibility for providing that support. It is a government responsibility, state and federal—and local member responsibility too, I would suggest. If it was in my electorate, I would be out there trying to work with government departments to make sure that support was provided.
The member well knows that the responsibility of the health department in this state is to provide, largely, for hospital care. We also provide lots of primary care. Other ministers have responsibility for community support and there are support mechanisms through other government departments to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : The responsibility of the health department is to look after those patients in the hospital. It is not the responsibility — Mr T.G. Stephens : Your standards have changed. You gave our government a battering over Halls Creek, compared with now in similar circumstances in Port Hedland, where it’s everybody else’s fault. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, I am not saying that. On the issue in Halls Creek, the blame was never sheeted by me to the then Minister for Health. I did not suggest in any way that the then Minister for Health should send his staff out of Halls Creek District Hospital to deal with the issues of those patients. It was the former Minister for Housing sitting on the opposition front bench now who had significant responsibility for that. I know she went there, as did the former Minister for Community Services who members may remember did not want to get out of her bus. They were the ones who had responsibility for providing that support. It is a government responsibility, state and federal—and local member responsibility too, I would suggest. If it was in my electorate, I would be out there trying to work with government departments to make sure that support was provided.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : The responsibility of the health department is to look after those patients in the hospital. It is not the responsibility — Mr T.G. Stephens : Your standards have changed. You gave our government a battering over Halls Creek, compared with now in similar circumstances in Port Hedland, where it’s everybody else’s fault. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, I am not saying that. On the issue in Halls Creek, the blame was never sheeted by me to the then Minister for Health. I did not suggest in any way that the then Minister for Health should send his staff out of Halls Creek District Hospital to deal with the issues of those patients. It was the former Minister for Housing sitting on the opposition front bench now who had significant responsibility for that. I know she went there, as did the former Minister for Community Services who members may remember did not want to get out of her bus. They were the ones who had responsibility for providing that support. It is a government responsibility, state and federal—and local member responsibility too, I would suggest. If it was in my electorate, I would be out there trying to work with government departments to make sure that support was provided.
The SPEAKER : Members! Dr K.D. HAMES : The responsibility of the health department is to look after those patients in the hospital. It is not the responsibility — Mr T.G. Stephens : Your standards have changed. You gave our government a battering over Halls Creek, compared with now in similar circumstances in Port Hedland, where it’s everybody else’s fault. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, I am not saying that. On the issue in Halls Creek, the blame was never sheeted by me to the then Minister for Health. I did not suggest in any way that the then Minister for Health should send his staff out of Halls Creek District Hospital to deal with the issues of those patients. It was the former Minister for Housing sitting on the opposition front bench now who had significant responsibility for that. I know she went there, as did the former Minister for Community Services who members may remember did not want to get out of her bus. They were the ones who had responsibility for providing that support. It is a government responsibility, state and federal—and local member responsibility too, I would suggest. If it was in my electorate, I would be out there trying to work with government departments to make sure that support was provided.
Dr K.D. HAMES : The responsibility of the health department is to look after those patients in the hospital. It is not the responsibility — Mr T.G. Stephens : Your standards have changed. You gave our government a battering over Halls Creek, compared with now in similar circumstances in Port Hedland, where it’s everybody else’s fault. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, I am not saying that. On the issue in Halls Creek, the blame was never sheeted by me to the then Minister for Health. I did not suggest in any way that the then Minister for Health should send his staff out of Halls Creek District Hospital to deal with the issues of those patients. It was the former Minister for Housing sitting on the opposition front bench now who had significant responsibility for that. I know she went there, as did the former Minister for Community Services who members may remember did not want to get out of her bus. They were the ones who had responsibility for providing that support. It is a government responsibility, state and federal—and local member responsibility too, I would suggest. If it was in my electorate, I would be out there trying to work with government departments to make sure that support was provided.
Mr T.G. Stephens : Your standards have changed. You gave our government a battering over Halls Creek, compared with now in similar circumstances in Port Hedland, where it’s everybody else’s fault. Dr K.D. HAMES : No, I am not saying that. On the issue in Halls Creek, the blame was never sheeted by me to the then Minister for Health. I did not suggest in any way that the then Minister for Health should send his staff out of Halls Creek District Hospital to deal with the issues of those patients. It was the former Minister for Housing sitting on the opposition front bench now who had significant responsibility for that. I know she went there, as did the former Minister for Community Services who members may remember did not want to get out of her bus. They were the ones who had responsibility for providing that support. It is a government responsibility, state and federal—and local member responsibility too, I would suggest. If it was in my electorate, I would be out there trying to work with government departments to make sure that support was provided.
Dr K.D. HAMES : No, I am not saying that. On the issue in Halls Creek, the blame was never sheeted by me to the then Minister for Health. I did not suggest in any way that the then Minister for Health should send his staff out of Halls Creek District Hospital to deal with the issues of those patients. It was the former Minister for Housing sitting on the opposition front bench now who had significant responsibility for that. I know she went there, as did the former Minister for Community Services who members may remember did not want to get out of her bus. They were the ones who had responsibility for providing that support. It is a government responsibility, state and federal—and local member responsibility too, I would suggest. If it was in my electorate, I would be out there trying to work with government departments to make sure that support was provided.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.