❓ Mr. Zempilas questions the Minister for Health about the engagement of FTI Consulting for a winter ramping plan instead of the department. The Minister's response focuses on the department's work, vaguely addressing the FTI Consulting aspect, leading to points of order and interruptions.
AnsweredQoN 703Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Hospitals—Ambulance ramping
703. Mr Basil Zempilas to
the Minister for Health:
I refer to the
Premier's letter to the Director General of the Department of Health asking for
a 2026 winter ramping plan to be delivered before Christmas and the work
undertaken by FTI Consulting.
(1) Why is FTI Consulting undertaking this work
and not the department?
(2) How much has the FTI Consulting report cost to
date?
(3) Has FTI Consulting completed the work, or has
it been abandoned?
703. Mr Basil Zempilas to
the Minister for Health:
I refer to the
Premier's letter to the Director General of the Department of Health asking for
a 2026 winter ramping plan to be delivered before Christmas and the work
undertaken by FTI Consulting.
(1) Why is FTI Consulting undertaking this work
and not the department?
(2) How much has the FTI Consulting report cost to
date?
(3) Has FTI Consulting completed the work, or has
it been abandoned?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I thank the member for the
question and his interest in our planning for winter in 2026.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Ms Libby Mettam interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Vasse! Carry on, minister.
Ms Meredith Hammat: Work has been undertaken by the
department. It has been working on an evaluation of the 2025 experience and it
has also undertaken consultations and planning for winter in 2026.
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt! The minister
is responding to the question. Please do not interject.
Ms Meredith Hammat: That work is obviously important.
It is well progressed. There will be more to say about it early in the new year
because I know there is interest in the work we are undertaking.
Point of order
Mr Liam Staltari: It is about relevance, Mr Speaker.
There was a specific question about the engagement of FTI Consulting, which the
minister has not even mentioned.
The Speaker: Thank you, member for Carine. The
minister is responding to the question. I will not be upholding the point of
order.
Mr David Michael: I have not done this this year, but
there is a continual tactic by the opposition, especially when some ministers
get on their feet, to do a point of order on relevance. You have continued to
say that it is not a point of order in question time when a minister is
answering a question as they see fit.
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt.
Mr David Michael: I
ask you to ask the opposition to desist from that tactic.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt, points of
order are heard in silence. That particular interjection was unnecessary. I am actually
going to call you for the first time for that. It is very disorderly.
Leader of the House,
thank you. I am not going to uphold your point of order, but I remind all
members that inappropriate use of standing orders and calling points of order
is disorderly in itself, and we should all bear that in mind.
Questions without notice resumed
Ms Meredith Hammat: I was outlining the work that has
been undertaken by the department in preparation for winter next year. As part
of that, there is a review and an evaluation of activities undertaken this
year. We will have more to say in the new year about the work of planning for
2026. I just make the observation that in conducting an evaluation, it is
important and valuable to have independent perspectives so we can properly
learn the lessons from 2025 and incorporate those into the planning for 2026.
question and his interest in our planning for winter in 2026.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Ms Libby Mettam interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Vasse! Carry on, minister.
Ms Meredith Hammat: Work has been undertaken by the
department. It has been working on an evaluation of the 2025 experience and it
has also undertaken consultations and planning for winter in 2026.
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt! The minister
is responding to the question. Please do not interject.
Ms Meredith Hammat: That work is obviously important.
It is well progressed. There will be more to say about it early in the new year
because I know there is interest in the work we are undertaking.
Point of order
Mr Liam Staltari: It is about relevance, Mr Speaker.
There was a specific question about the engagement of FTI Consulting, which the
minister has not even mentioned.
The Speaker: Thank you, member for Carine. The
minister is responding to the question. I will not be upholding the point of
order.
Mr David Michael: I have not done this this year, but
there is a continual tactic by the opposition, especially when some ministers
get on their feet, to do a point of order on relevance. You have continued to
say that it is not a point of order in question time when a minister is
answering a question as they see fit.
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt.
Mr David Michael: I
ask you to ask the opposition to desist from that tactic.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt, points of
order are heard in silence. That particular interjection was unnecessary. I am actually
going to call you for the first time for that. It is very disorderly.
Leader of the House,
thank you. I am not going to uphold your point of order, but I remind all
members that inappropriate use of standing orders and calling points of order
is disorderly in itself, and we should all bear that in mind.
Questions without notice resumed
Ms Meredith Hammat: I was outlining the work that has
been undertaken by the department in preparation for winter next year. As part
of that, there is a review and an evaluation of activities undertaken this
year. We will have more to say in the new year about the work of planning for
2026. I just make the observation that in conducting an evaluation, it is
important and valuable to have independent perspectives so we can properly
learn the lessons from 2025 and incorporate those into the planning for 2026.
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