❓ Ms. Beard (Opposition) questions the Minister for Health regarding the adequacy of the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS) fuel subsidy for regional WA patients. The Minister defends the government's record on PATS, criticising the previous Liberal-National government's inaction and accusing the opposition of hypocrisy.
AnsweredQoN 577Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PATIENT ASSISTED TRAVEL SCHEME
577. Ms M. BEARD to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the current petition led
by the opposition that calls for real increases to the patient assisted travel
scheme.
(1) Why, at a time
of record surpluses, do regional WA patients receive an unfair fuel subsidy of
only 16�, when other states and territories receive more?
(2) Why is it
good enough for New South Wales patients to receive 40� a kilometre but not
regional WA families?
577. Ms M. BEARD to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the current petition led
by the opposition that calls for real increases to the patient assisted travel
scheme.
(1) Why, at a time
of record surpluses, do regional WA patients receive an unfair fuel subsidy of
only 16�, when other states and territories receive more?
(2) Why is it
good enough for New South Wales patients to receive 40� a kilometre but not
regional WA families?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) It
is always interesting to get these questions from the Nationals WA, to be
honest. I appreciate that the current member for North West Central was not
present and was not a member of this place when the National Party and Liberal
Party were in government. I was part of the Standing Committee on Public
Administration, which had a Liberal–National majority, a Liberal Party
chair and a senior Nationals member in Hon Jackie Boydell.
We travelled around and did an
inquiry into the patient assisted travel scheme and found that it was not
adequate and did not meet the requirements of regional people. We found that it
should be increased and certain processes and arrangements could be improved
and so on and so forth. The Liberal government ignored the recommendations. It
ignored the recommendations so much so that I remember my Legislative Council
colleagues, Liberal and National, stood and were furious with their own
government for completely ignoring the recommendations. The only thing the
Nationals WA did for PATS was to put its logo on the form. The only thing the
National Party ever did for the scheme was to stamp royalties for regions and
the Nationals logo on the form. That is all it did in government. This
government increased it under the Premier as Minister for Health. This
government has made significant increases to PATS for regional people. It is
very difficult to stomach a question that is, quite frankly, so hypocritical
when it is only this government that has
invested in PATS and regional health care above and beyond what o pposition
members did when they were in government.
is always interesting to get these questions from the Nationals WA, to be
honest. I appreciate that the current member for North West Central was not
present and was not a member of this place when the National Party and Liberal
Party were in government. I was part of the Standing Committee on Public
Administration, which had a Liberal–National majority, a Liberal Party
chair and a senior Nationals member in Hon Jackie Boydell.
We travelled around and did an
inquiry into the patient assisted travel scheme and found that it was not
adequate and did not meet the requirements of regional people. We found that it
should be increased and certain processes and arrangements could be improved
and so on and so forth. The Liberal government ignored the recommendations. It
ignored the recommendations so much so that I remember my Legislative Council
colleagues, Liberal and National, stood and were furious with their own
government for completely ignoring the recommendations. The only thing the
Nationals WA did for PATS was to put its logo on the form. The only thing the
National Party ever did for the scheme was to stamp royalties for regions and
the Nationals logo on the form. That is all it did in government. This
government increased it under the Premier as Minister for Health. This
government has made significant increases to PATS for regional people. It is
very difficult to stomach a question that is, quite frankly, so hypocritical
when it is only this government that has
invested in PATS and regional health care above and beyond what o pposition
members did when they were in government.
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