❓ Mr. Cook questions the Minister for Health regarding recruitment incompetence in child health services, while the Minister defends the government's actions by highlighting past Labor government failures and significant investment in the sector.
AnsweredQoN 442Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CHILD
HEALTH SERVICES — AUDITOR GENERAL'S REPORT
442. Mr R.H. COOK to the
Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question. Is the Minister for Health
honestly saying that it is not his fault, even though it is his government's
policies that incorporated this particular piece of incompetence in terms of
recruitment?
HEALTH SERVICES — AUDITOR GENERAL'S REPORT
442. Mr R.H. COOK to the
Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question. Is the Minister for Health
honestly saying that it is not his fault, even though it is his government's
policies that incorporated this particular piece of incompetence in terms of
recruitment?
AnswerView source ↗
When we were in opposition, I was on a committee—that
is, the committee the member for Eyre now chairs. That committee did an
investigation into the seven years of the member's Labor government,
and how it performed in providing child health services in this state. You were
absolutely hopeless—absolutely hopeless!
Mr R.H. Cook : Just
once in your life, accept responsibility!
The SPEAKER :
Member for Kwinana, I call you to order for the second time.
Dr K.D. HAMES : You
were absolutely hopeless. We committed that when we came into government, we
would address all those services.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana. Through the Chair, minister.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : I am looking at you, Mr Speaker. I am not looking at anyone
else—difficult as that may be!
We committed to address those
things. Over the first term of our government, we did it in two tranches—to
cover the major deficiency in things like physiotherapists, speech therapists
and the like. We poured nearly $50 million, from memory, into addressing that
component. The next step was to address childcare nurses, for which we
allocated an additional nearly $50 million or 42 point something million
dollars. The third tranche was the school nurses. It is a lot of money—nearly
$150 million altogether of additional funding—into something that was
sadly neglected by the current opposition when it was in government. We have
addressed those things, and all those positions are being put in place. We have
seen a huge improvement in the standards of care of children. This one is
slightly delayed, given the difficulty of being able to attract those in the
private sector able to undertake the task. We have now changed that. We are
employing those staff, and we will see significant improvements from now on.
is, the committee the member for Eyre now chairs. That committee did an
investigation into the seven years of the member's Labor government,
and how it performed in providing child health services in this state. You were
absolutely hopeless—absolutely hopeless!
Mr R.H. Cook : Just
once in your life, accept responsibility!
The SPEAKER :
Member for Kwinana, I call you to order for the second time.
Dr K.D. HAMES : You
were absolutely hopeless. We committed that when we came into government, we
would address all those services.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana. Through the Chair, minister.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : I am looking at you, Mr Speaker. I am not looking at anyone
else—difficult as that may be!
We committed to address those
things. Over the first term of our government, we did it in two tranches—to
cover the major deficiency in things like physiotherapists, speech therapists
and the like. We poured nearly $50 million, from memory, into addressing that
component. The next step was to address childcare nurses, for which we
allocated an additional nearly $50 million or 42 point something million
dollars. The third tranche was the school nurses. It is a lot of money—nearly
$150 million altogether of additional funding—into something that was
sadly neglected by the current opposition when it was in government. We have
addressed those things, and all those positions are being put in place. We have
seen a huge improvement in the standards of care of children. This one is
slightly delayed, given the difficulty of being able to attract those in the
private sector able to undertake the task. We have now changed that. We are
employing those staff, and we will see significant improvements from now on.
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