❓ Opposition asks about the composition and reporting structure of a health cost-cutting taskforce and guarantees for frontline services. The Minister's response focuses on broader health system sustainability and investment, drawing criticism for not directly answering the questions.
AnsweredQoN 389Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Health—Cost-cutting taskforce
389. Mr Liam Staltari to
the Minister for Health:
I refer to the government's
cost-cutting taskforce in health.
(1) Who is on the taskforce?
(2) Who does the taskforce report to?
(3) Will the minister guarantee that frontline
services will not be affected?
389. Mr Liam Staltari to
the Minister for Health:
I refer to the government's
cost-cutting taskforce in health.
(1) Who is on the taskforce?
(2) Who does the taskforce report to?
(3) Will the minister guarantee that frontline
services will not be affected?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I thank the member very much for
the opportunity to respond. The work in health that has been ongoing for a
period of time is really important work. It started during the Sustainable
Health Review. It is about looking at how we modernise our health system but in
a way that is sustainable and that meets the needs of the population in Western
Australia. It is clear that the context in which health care is delivered is
changing all the time in terms of demand on the system with an ageing
population and our growing population, but also in the context of how people
expect to receive care; they are looking for opportunities to receive care
closer to home in the community. The work of considering how we can meet the
care needs of Western Australians in a sustainable way while also modernising
the system has been ongoing for some time. Of course, since the Sustainable
Health Review, we had COVID and we saw the impact that that had on the health
system and the impacts that have come from that. There is an important context
that is changing in health and every single health jurisdiction—
Point of order
Mr Lachlan Hunter: We have been listening to the
Minister for Health for a little while now. This point of order is about
relevance. The member for Carine asked three very specific questions about a
taskforce and the minister has not even said the word yet.
The Speaker: Thank you, member. I shall not uphold
that point of order. The minister is responding to the questions and she is
allowed to set the context of the response. Carry on, minister.
Questions without notice resumed
Ms Meredith Hammat: I was explaining that the
taskforce is part of an ongoing body of work that has been going on since this
government was elected, recognising the changing context for the delivery of
health care. This is something that every jurisdiction around Australia is
looking at. We could not have foreseen COVID when we stood up the Sustainable
Health Review, but that has had even further impacts on it. The other important
piece of context is the ongoing negotiations with the Commonwealth on the
National Health Reform Agreement. The taskforce is an important piece of work,
because as a government we are absolutely committed to making sure that we invest
in people being able to access the health care that they need in the way that
they want—care in the community, closer to home and leaning into the
new opportunities to deliver virtual health care. At the same time, we have
been investing heavily in our frontline workers, which is why we have uplifted
the health workforce by 33% since 2021—5,000 additional nurses and
19,000 additional doctors.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members.
Ms Meredith Hammat: No government has invested more in
health than this government. We are committed to making sure that those funds
and the work that we are doing are about delivering health care in a way that
people want to access it and in a way that builds the system fit for the
future.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition, you have asked
the question and the minister is responding.
Ms Meredith Hammat: This is ongoing work about making
sure that the delivery of health care is fit for the future and financially
sustainable. We are investing record amounts into frontline services, which is
what people want.
the opportunity to respond. The work in health that has been ongoing for a
period of time is really important work. It started during the Sustainable
Health Review. It is about looking at how we modernise our health system but in
a way that is sustainable and that meets the needs of the population in Western
Australia. It is clear that the context in which health care is delivered is
changing all the time in terms of demand on the system with an ageing
population and our growing population, but also in the context of how people
expect to receive care; they are looking for opportunities to receive care
closer to home in the community. The work of considering how we can meet the
care needs of Western Australians in a sustainable way while also modernising
the system has been ongoing for some time. Of course, since the Sustainable
Health Review, we had COVID and we saw the impact that that had on the health
system and the impacts that have come from that. There is an important context
that is changing in health and every single health jurisdiction—
Point of order
Mr Lachlan Hunter: We have been listening to the
Minister for Health for a little while now. This point of order is about
relevance. The member for Carine asked three very specific questions about a
taskforce and the minister has not even said the word yet.
The Speaker: Thank you, member. I shall not uphold
that point of order. The minister is responding to the questions and she is
allowed to set the context of the response. Carry on, minister.
Questions without notice resumed
Ms Meredith Hammat: I was explaining that the
taskforce is part of an ongoing body of work that has been going on since this
government was elected, recognising the changing context for the delivery of
health care. This is something that every jurisdiction around Australia is
looking at. We could not have foreseen COVID when we stood up the Sustainable
Health Review, but that has had even further impacts on it. The other important
piece of context is the ongoing negotiations with the Commonwealth on the
National Health Reform Agreement. The taskforce is an important piece of work,
because as a government we are absolutely committed to making sure that we invest
in people being able to access the health care that they need in the way that
they want—care in the community, closer to home and leaning into the
new opportunities to deliver virtual health care. At the same time, we have
been investing heavily in our frontline workers, which is why we have uplifted
the health workforce by 33% since 2021—5,000 additional nurses and
19,000 additional doctors.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members.
Ms Meredith Hammat: No government has invested more in
health than this government. We are committed to making sure that those funds
and the work that we are doing are about delivering health care in a way that
people want to access it and in a way that builds the system fit for the
future.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition, you have asked
the question and the minister is responding.
Ms Meredith Hammat: This is ongoing work about making
sure that the delivery of health care is fit for the future and financially
sustainable. We are investing record amounts into frontline services, which is
what people want.
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.