❓ Question regarding community sentiment on privatising health services, particularly in Midland. The Minister responds by highlighting election results and past Labor policy to counter the claim of unpopularity.
AnsweredQoN 41Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HEALTH —
SERVICES PRIVATISATION
41. Mr F.A. ALBAN to the Minister for Health:
On behalf of the member for Southern River, I acknowledge and
welcome student council members from Excelsior Primary School, who are in the
chamber today.
I refer to comments made in this
house yesterday in relation to the unpopularity of contracting out health
services at the Midland and other public hospitals. Can the minister advise the
house whether this view is shared by the community at large?
SERVICES PRIVATISATION
41. Mr F.A. ALBAN to the Minister for Health:
On behalf of the member for Southern River, I acknowledge and
welcome student council members from Excelsior Primary School, who are in the
chamber today.
I refer to comments made in this
house yesterday in relation to the unpopularity of contracting out health
services at the Midland and other public hospitals. Can the minister advise the
house whether this view is shared by the community at large?
AnswerView source ↗
I was very interested to hear the comments by the member for
Bassendean yesterday along the lines that the majority of people in Bassendean
are opposed to contracting out services—privatisation, if we like.
Indeed, the union circulated a brochure during the election campaign. There is
a good looking bloke there!
Mr T.R. Buswell :
Where? It's an old photo.
Dr K.D. HAMES : It
shows a beautiful hospital and indicates that 81 per cent of Western
Australians oppose privatisation. We would think that would have been somehow
reflected in the election results, would we not? We would think it would mean
something. This Labor Party policy has been adopted only under the current leader.
Remember, when in government the previous Deputy Leader of the Labor Party, the
person then sitting in this seat, strongly supported the concept of contracting
to the private sector. In fact, when he developed the proposal for Fiona
Stanley Hospital, clearly in his document about developing public–private
partnerships was the concept of contracting out to the private sector. Indeed,
the previous Minister for Health contracted out lots of things to the private
sector, including contracting out renal dialysis, which used to be done at Swan
District Hospital. Suddenly, the new leader has decided to have this
anti-privatisation policy as the key plank of the Labor Party's last
election campaign. Indeed, we wondered how much the Labor Party spent on that
campaign when we saw ads on TV and heard radio ads. I wonder how much the
member for Bassendean's union spent on that election campaign opposing
privatisation of hospitals and getting hospitals to be run by the public
sector.
I refer to the last federal election
when the previous federal member for Hasluck, Hon Sharryn Jackson, advertised
at length the contracting out of services in Midland. Remember, she ran all
those ads on TV. I was worried; I thought maybe the government's
decision had had a bad effect on results in Midland, so I went through the
polling booth results for the new Liberal Party federal member for Midland, Mr
Ken Wyatt. The second biggest swing against the Labor Party occurred at the
Midland polling booth—4.2 per cent to the Liberal Party in the heart of
Midland where Sharryn Jackson had been advertising the negative aspects of
privatisation. What happened in this state election? One would think, ''This
is the Labor Party's big plank; we are out there fighting against
privatising hospitals; this is the key plank of our election.'' Not only
did we see their worst election result in 90 years of government, but these are
the results at the booths around the three hospital seats that contract
services. First, Joondalup, three seats; Ocean Reef—well done, minister—16.3
per cent swing to the Liberal Party —
Mr P. Papalia : Sit
down; you'll be asked to sit down.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
will read through them quickly.
In Joondalup, the swing to the Liberal Party was 7.8 per cent
and in Butler it was 8.6 per cent. I am winding up very quickly. The swing to
the Liberal Party in the electorate of Riverton, where Fiona Stanley Hospital
is located, was 7.2 per cent; in Jandakot, 6.2 per cent; and in Alfred Cove,
23.8 per cent. What happened in Midland? That is where we have contracted out
services at the Midland hospital. There was an 8.3 per cent swing to the
Liberal Party in Midland. This opposition is carrying on with nonsense. It has
to realise that it lost the election. Opposing the contracting out of services
was the Labor Party's key election plank and it had its worst result in
90 years. It is time for the Labor Party to dump its failed policies and make
sure that it does not carry on with policies that are a waste of time and
space.
Bassendean yesterday along the lines that the majority of people in Bassendean
are opposed to contracting out services—privatisation, if we like.
Indeed, the union circulated a brochure during the election campaign. There is
a good looking bloke there!
Mr T.R. Buswell :
Where? It's an old photo.
Dr K.D. HAMES : It
shows a beautiful hospital and indicates that 81 per cent of Western
Australians oppose privatisation. We would think that would have been somehow
reflected in the election results, would we not? We would think it would mean
something. This Labor Party policy has been adopted only under the current leader.
Remember, when in government the previous Deputy Leader of the Labor Party, the
person then sitting in this seat, strongly supported the concept of contracting
to the private sector. In fact, when he developed the proposal for Fiona
Stanley Hospital, clearly in his document about developing public–private
partnerships was the concept of contracting out to the private sector. Indeed,
the previous Minister for Health contracted out lots of things to the private
sector, including contracting out renal dialysis, which used to be done at Swan
District Hospital. Suddenly, the new leader has decided to have this
anti-privatisation policy as the key plank of the Labor Party's last
election campaign. Indeed, we wondered how much the Labor Party spent on that
campaign when we saw ads on TV and heard radio ads. I wonder how much the
member for Bassendean's union spent on that election campaign opposing
privatisation of hospitals and getting hospitals to be run by the public
sector.
I refer to the last federal election
when the previous federal member for Hasluck, Hon Sharryn Jackson, advertised
at length the contracting out of services in Midland. Remember, she ran all
those ads on TV. I was worried; I thought maybe the government's
decision had had a bad effect on results in Midland, so I went through the
polling booth results for the new Liberal Party federal member for Midland, Mr
Ken Wyatt. The second biggest swing against the Labor Party occurred at the
Midland polling booth—4.2 per cent to the Liberal Party in the heart of
Midland where Sharryn Jackson had been advertising the negative aspects of
privatisation. What happened in this state election? One would think, ''This
is the Labor Party's big plank; we are out there fighting against
privatising hospitals; this is the key plank of our election.'' Not only
did we see their worst election result in 90 years of government, but these are
the results at the booths around the three hospital seats that contract
services. First, Joondalup, three seats; Ocean Reef—well done, minister—16.3
per cent swing to the Liberal Party —
Mr P. Papalia : Sit
down; you'll be asked to sit down.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
will read through them quickly.
In Joondalup, the swing to the Liberal Party was 7.8 per cent
and in Butler it was 8.6 per cent. I am winding up very quickly. The swing to
the Liberal Party in the electorate of Riverton, where Fiona Stanley Hospital
is located, was 7.2 per cent; in Jandakot, 6.2 per cent; and in Alfred Cove,
23.8 per cent. What happened in Midland? That is where we have contracted out
services at the Midland hospital. There was an 8.3 per cent swing to the
Liberal Party in Midland. This opposition is carrying on with nonsense. It has
to realise that it lost the election. Opposing the contracting out of services
was the Labor Party's key election plank and it had its worst result in
90 years. It is time for the Labor Party to dump its failed policies and make
sure that it does not carry on with policies that are a waste of time and
space.
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