A parliamentary question regarding the funding of a pregnancy support program for migrant and refugee women in Western Australia. The Minister's response highlights previous funding and shifts responsibility to the previous Labor government.

AnsweredQoN 175Legislative Assembly
Asked
10 March 2009
Portfolio
Citizenship and Multicultural Interests

QuestionView source ↗

PREGNANCY SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR MIGRANT AND REFUGEE WOMEN
As the minister is aware, the manager of Community Midwifery Western Australia wrote to the minister on 7 January this year warning that funding for the pregnancy support program for migrant and refugee women will run out today. I note that today is two days after International Women’s Day and that this program must now end due to a lack of funding. (1) Does the minister consider that this service to women from non-English speaking backgrounds is important? (2) What has the minister done to secure ongoing funding for this vital service? (3) Has the minister tried to convince the Minister for Health, or his cabinet colleagues, that this service is a core health service and therefore should continue to be funded? Mr G.M. CASTRILLI

AnswerView source ↗

(1)-(3) This government totally supports the multicultural sector in Western Australia. Can I say that Western Australia is the most diverse state in Australia in terms of migrants. Mr P. Papalia interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Warnbro! Mr G.M. CASTRILLI : Can I say also that the Office of Multicultural Interests community grants program provided $25 000-odd to the pregnancy support project as a one-off grant. That grant will expire, as the member has said, this month. Community Midwifery Western Australia submitted a new funding proposal to the Department of Health. That organisation has received $331 000-odd from the Department of Health through a three-year grant, which will end in June in year. The OMI Community Grants Assessment Committee stipulated that that project was strictly a one-off pilot project. That grant was a one-off grant made by the Labor government. Mr P. Papalia interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Warnbro! Mr G.M. CASTRILLI : If the Labor government had thought that program was any good, it would have extended that grant further.
(1) Does the minister consider that this service to women from non-English speaking backgrounds is important? (2) What has the minister done to secure ongoing funding for this vital service? (3) Has the minister tried to convince the Minister for Health, or his cabinet colleagues, that this service is a core health service and therefore should continue to be funded? Mr G.M. CASTRILLI replied: (1)-(3) This government totally supports the multicultural sector in Western Australia. Can I say that Western Australia is the most diverse state in Australia in terms of migrants. Mr P. Papalia interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Warnbro! Mr G.M. CASTRILLI : Can I say also that the Office of Multicultural Interests community grants program provided $25 000-odd to the pregnancy support project as a one-off grant. That grant will expire, as the member has said, this month. Community Midwifery Western Australia submitted a new funding proposal to the Department of Health. That organisation has received $331 000-odd from the Department of Health through a three-year grant, which will end in June in year. The OMI Community Grants Assessment Committee stipulated that that project was strictly a one-off pilot project. That grant was a one-off grant made by the Labor government. Mr P. Papalia interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Warnbro! Mr G.M. CASTRILLI : If the Labor government had thought that program was any good, it would have extended that grant further.
(2) What has the minister done to secure ongoing funding for this vital service? (3) Has the minister tried to convince the Minister for Health, or his cabinet colleagues, that this service is a core health service and therefore should continue to be funded? Mr G.M. CASTRILLI replied: (1)-(3) This government totally supports the multicultural sector in Western Australia. Can I say that Western Australia is the most diverse state in Australia in terms of migrants. Mr P. Papalia interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Warnbro! Mr G.M. CASTRILLI : Can I say also that the Office of Multicultural Interests community grants program provided $25 000-odd to the pregnancy support project as a one-off grant. That grant will expire, as the member has said, this month. Community Midwifery Western Australia submitted a new funding proposal to the Department of Health. That organisation has received $331 000-odd from the Department of Health through a three-year grant, which will end in June in year. The OMI Community Grants Assessment Committee stipulated that that project was strictly a one-off pilot project. That grant was a one-off grant made by the Labor government. Mr P. Papalia interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Warnbro! Mr G.M. CASTRILLI : If the Labor government had thought that program was any good, it would have extended that grant further.
(3) Has the minister tried to convince the Minister for Health, or his cabinet colleagues, that this service is a core health service and therefore should continue to be funded? Mr G.M. CASTRILLI replied: (1)-(3) This government totally supports the multicultural sector in Western Australia. Can I say that Western Australia is the most diverse state in Australia in terms of migrants. Mr P. Papalia interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Warnbro! Mr G.M. CASTRILLI : Can I say also that the Office of Multicultural Interests community grants program provided $25 000-odd to the pregnancy support project as a one-off grant. That grant will expire, as the member has said, this month. Community Midwifery Western Australia submitted a new funding proposal to the Department of Health. That organisation has received $331 000-odd from the Department of Health through a three-year grant, which will end in June in year. The OMI Community Grants Assessment Committee stipulated that that project was strictly a one-off pilot project. That grant was a one-off grant made by the Labor government. Mr P. Papalia interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Warnbro! Mr G.M. CASTRILLI : If the Labor government had thought that program was any good, it would have extended that grant further.
Mr G.M. CASTRILLI replied: (1)-(3) This government totally supports the multicultural sector in Western Australia. Can I say that Western Australia is the most diverse state in Australia in terms of migrants. Mr P. Papalia interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Warnbro! Mr G.M. CASTRILLI : Can I say also that the Office of Multicultural Interests community grants program provided $25 000-odd to the pregnancy support project as a one-off grant. That grant will expire, as the member has said, this month. Community Midwifery Western Australia submitted a new funding proposal to the Department of Health. That organisation has received $331 000-odd from the Department of Health through a three-year grant, which will end in June in year. The OMI Community Grants Assessment Committee stipulated that that project was strictly a one-off pilot project. That grant was a one-off grant made by the Labor government. Mr P. Papalia interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Warnbro! Mr G.M. CASTRILLI : If the Labor government had thought that program was any good, it would have extended that grant further.
(1)-(3) This government totally supports the multicultural sector in Western Australia. Can I say that Western Australia is the most diverse state in Australia in terms of migrants. Mr P. Papalia interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Warnbro! Mr G.M. CASTRILLI : Can I say also that the Office of Multicultural Interests community grants program provided $25 000-odd to the pregnancy support project as a one-off grant. That grant will expire, as the member has said, this month. Community Midwifery Western Australia submitted a new funding proposal to the Department of Health. That organisation has received $331 000-odd from the Department of Health through a three-year grant, which will end in June in year. The OMI Community Grants Assessment Committee stipulated that that project was strictly a one-off pilot project. That grant was a one-off grant made by the Labor government. Mr P. Papalia interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Warnbro! Mr G.M. CASTRILLI : If the Labor government had thought that program was any good, it would have extended that grant further.
Mr P. Papalia interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Warnbro! Mr G.M. CASTRILLI : Can I say also that the Office of Multicultural Interests community grants program provided $25 000-odd to the pregnancy support project as a one-off grant. That grant will expire, as the member has said, this month. Community Midwifery Western Australia submitted a new funding proposal to the Department of Health. That organisation has received $331 000-odd from the Department of Health through a three-year grant, which will end in June in year. The OMI Community Grants Assessment Committee stipulated that that project was strictly a one-off pilot project. That grant was a one-off grant made by the Labor government. Mr P. Papalia interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Warnbro! Mr G.M. CASTRILLI : If the Labor government had thought that program was any good, it would have extended that grant further.
The SPEAKER : Order, member for Warnbro! Mr G.M. CASTRILLI : Can I say also that the Office of Multicultural Interests community grants program provided $25 000-odd to the pregnancy support project as a one-off grant. That grant will expire, as the member has said, this month. Community Midwifery Western Australia submitted a new funding proposal to the Department of Health. That organisation has received $331 000-odd from the Department of Health through a three-year grant, which will end in June in year. The OMI Community Grants Assessment Committee stipulated that that project was strictly a one-off pilot project. That grant was a one-off grant made by the Labor government. Mr P. Papalia interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Warnbro! Mr G.M. CASTRILLI : If the Labor government had thought that program was any good, it would have extended that grant further.
Mr G.M. CASTRILLI : Can I say also that the Office of Multicultural Interests community grants program provided $25 000-odd to the pregnancy support project as a one-off grant. That grant will expire, as the member has said, this month. Community Midwifery Western Australia submitted a new funding proposal to the Department of Health. That organisation has received $331 000-odd from the Department of Health through a three-year grant, which will end in June in year. The OMI Community Grants Assessment Committee stipulated that that project was strictly a one-off pilot project. That grant was a one-off grant made by the Labor government. Mr P. Papalia interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Warnbro! Mr G.M. CASTRILLI : If the Labor government had thought that program was any good, it would have extended that grant further.
Mr P. Papalia interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Warnbro! Mr G.M. CASTRILLI : If the Labor government had thought that program was any good, it would have extended that grant further.
The SPEAKER : Order, member for Warnbro! Mr G.M. CASTRILLI : If the Labor government had thought that program was any good, it would have extended that grant further.
Mr G.M. CASTRILLI : If the Labor government had thought that program was any good, it would have extended that grant further.

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