❓ A heated exchange between Mr. Ripper and Premier Barnett regarding WA's participation in the National Health Plan. Ripper accuses Barnett of naivety, while Barnett defends his position, asserting WA will not be discriminated against.
AnsweredQoN 138Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
NATIONAL HEALTH PLAN
I have a supplementary question. Is the Premier not being naive in believing that Western Australia can get the real benefits of this deal, which he has just conceded, without his agreeing to the deal? Is the Premier not trying to have his cake and eat it too? And is that not naive? Mr C.J. BARNETT
I have a supplementary question. Is the Premier not being naive in believing that Western Australia can get the real benefits of this deal, which he has just conceded, without his agreeing to the deal? Is the Premier not trying to have his cake and eat it too? And is that not naive? Mr C.J. BARNETT
AnswerView source ↗
I may have been the only Liberal Premier, but I also am a little different: I was not going to be one of those Premiers who fell over like bowling pins yesterday. That is what happened—one after the other! I knew something was wrong when they could not look me in the eye. That was about 11 o’clock in the morning. They were falling over one by one. We are not going to do that. If the Leader of the Opposition says that we will not get the benefits — Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : These arrangements do not come into play until 2014. Mr E.S. Ripper : It is $550 million in the next four years! I think the Treasurer may be worried about that, as would the health minister! Mr C.J. BARNETT : Maybe the Leader of the Opposition thinks that the commonwealth should discriminate against Western Australia. I do not think it should do that. Mr E.S. Ripper : They always have! What’s new about that! Mr C.J. BARNETT : I do not think, during a federal election year, that the commonwealth is going to discriminate against the sick and the elderly people of Western Australia. I do not think that is going to happen. Indeed, the federal health minister basically reassured one of my staff that the commonwealth would not discriminate against Western Australia.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: I may have been the only Liberal Premier, but I also am a little different: I was not going to be one of those Premiers who fell over like bowling pins yesterday. That is what happened—one after the other! I knew something was wrong when they could not look me in the eye. That was about 11 o’clock in the morning. They were falling over one by one. We are not going to do that. If the Leader of the Opposition says that we will not get the benefits — Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : These arrangements do not come into play until 2014. Mr E.S. Ripper : It is $550 million in the next four years! I think the Treasurer may be worried about that, as would the health minister! Mr C.J. BARNETT : Maybe the Leader of the Opposition thinks that the commonwealth should discriminate against Western Australia. I do not think it should do that. Mr E.S. Ripper : They always have! What’s new about that! Mr C.J. BARNETT : I do not think, during a federal election year, that the commonwealth is going to discriminate against the sick and the elderly people of Western Australia. I do not think that is going to happen. Indeed, the federal health minister basically reassured one of my staff that the commonwealth would not discriminate against Western Australia.
I may have been the only Liberal Premier, but I also am a little different: I was not going to be one of those Premiers who fell over like bowling pins yesterday. That is what happened—one after the other! I knew something was wrong when they could not look me in the eye. That was about 11 o’clock in the morning. They were falling over one by one. We are not going to do that. If the Leader of the Opposition says that we will not get the benefits — Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : These arrangements do not come into play until 2014. Mr E.S. Ripper : It is $550 million in the next four years! I think the Treasurer may be worried about that, as would the health minister! Mr C.J. BARNETT : Maybe the Leader of the Opposition thinks that the commonwealth should discriminate against Western Australia. I do not think it should do that. Mr E.S. Ripper : They always have! What’s new about that! Mr C.J. BARNETT : I do not think, during a federal election year, that the commonwealth is going to discriminate against the sick and the elderly people of Western Australia. I do not think that is going to happen. Indeed, the federal health minister basically reassured one of my staff that the commonwealth would not discriminate against Western Australia.
Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : These arrangements do not come into play until 2014. Mr E.S. Ripper : It is $550 million in the next four years! I think the Treasurer may be worried about that, as would the health minister! Mr C.J. BARNETT : Maybe the Leader of the Opposition thinks that the commonwealth should discriminate against Western Australia. I do not think it should do that. Mr E.S. Ripper : They always have! What’s new about that! Mr C.J. BARNETT : I do not think, during a federal election year, that the commonwealth is going to discriminate against the sick and the elderly people of Western Australia. I do not think that is going to happen. Indeed, the federal health minister basically reassured one of my staff that the commonwealth would not discriminate against Western Australia.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : These arrangements do not come into play until 2014. Mr E.S. Ripper : It is $550 million in the next four years! I think the Treasurer may be worried about that, as would the health minister! Mr C.J. BARNETT : Maybe the Leader of the Opposition thinks that the commonwealth should discriminate against Western Australia. I do not think it should do that. Mr E.S. Ripper : They always have! What’s new about that! Mr C.J. BARNETT : I do not think, during a federal election year, that the commonwealth is going to discriminate against the sick and the elderly people of Western Australia. I do not think that is going to happen. Indeed, the federal health minister basically reassured one of my staff that the commonwealth would not discriminate against Western Australia.
Mr E.S. Ripper : It is $550 million in the next four years! I think the Treasurer may be worried about that, as would the health minister! Mr C.J. BARNETT : Maybe the Leader of the Opposition thinks that the commonwealth should discriminate against Western Australia. I do not think it should do that. Mr E.S. Ripper : They always have! What’s new about that! Mr C.J. BARNETT : I do not think, during a federal election year, that the commonwealth is going to discriminate against the sick and the elderly people of Western Australia. I do not think that is going to happen. Indeed, the federal health minister basically reassured one of my staff that the commonwealth would not discriminate against Western Australia.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Maybe the Leader of the Opposition thinks that the commonwealth should discriminate against Western Australia. I do not think it should do that. Mr E.S. Ripper : They always have! What’s new about that! Mr C.J. BARNETT : I do not think, during a federal election year, that the commonwealth is going to discriminate against the sick and the elderly people of Western Australia. I do not think that is going to happen. Indeed, the federal health minister basically reassured one of my staff that the commonwealth would not discriminate against Western Australia.
Mr E.S. Ripper : They always have! What’s new about that! Mr C.J. BARNETT : I do not think, during a federal election year, that the commonwealth is going to discriminate against the sick and the elderly people of Western Australia. I do not think that is going to happen. Indeed, the federal health minister basically reassured one of my staff that the commonwealth would not discriminate against Western Australia.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I do not think, during a federal election year, that the commonwealth is going to discriminate against the sick and the elderly people of Western Australia. I do not think that is going to happen. Indeed, the federal health minister basically reassured one of my staff that the commonwealth would not discriminate against Western Australia.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: I may have been the only Liberal Premier, but I also am a little different: I was not going to be one of those Premiers who fell over like bowling pins yesterday. That is what happened—one after the other! I knew something was wrong when they could not look me in the eye. That was about 11 o’clock in the morning. They were falling over one by one. We are not going to do that. If the Leader of the Opposition says that we will not get the benefits — Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : These arrangements do not come into play until 2014. Mr E.S. Ripper : It is $550 million in the next four years! I think the Treasurer may be worried about that, as would the health minister! Mr C.J. BARNETT : Maybe the Leader of the Opposition thinks that the commonwealth should discriminate against Western Australia. I do not think it should do that. Mr E.S. Ripper : They always have! What’s new about that! Mr C.J. BARNETT : I do not think, during a federal election year, that the commonwealth is going to discriminate against the sick and the elderly people of Western Australia. I do not think that is going to happen. Indeed, the federal health minister basically reassured one of my staff that the commonwealth would not discriminate against Western Australia.
I may have been the only Liberal Premier, but I also am a little different: I was not going to be one of those Premiers who fell over like bowling pins yesterday. That is what happened—one after the other! I knew something was wrong when they could not look me in the eye. That was about 11 o’clock in the morning. They were falling over one by one. We are not going to do that. If the Leader of the Opposition says that we will not get the benefits — Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : These arrangements do not come into play until 2014. Mr E.S. Ripper : It is $550 million in the next four years! I think the Treasurer may be worried about that, as would the health minister! Mr C.J. BARNETT : Maybe the Leader of the Opposition thinks that the commonwealth should discriminate against Western Australia. I do not think it should do that. Mr E.S. Ripper : They always have! What’s new about that! Mr C.J. BARNETT : I do not think, during a federal election year, that the commonwealth is going to discriminate against the sick and the elderly people of Western Australia. I do not think that is going to happen. Indeed, the federal health minister basically reassured one of my staff that the commonwealth would not discriminate against Western Australia.
Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : These arrangements do not come into play until 2014. Mr E.S. Ripper : It is $550 million in the next four years! I think the Treasurer may be worried about that, as would the health minister! Mr C.J. BARNETT : Maybe the Leader of the Opposition thinks that the commonwealth should discriminate against Western Australia. I do not think it should do that. Mr E.S. Ripper : They always have! What’s new about that! Mr C.J. BARNETT : I do not think, during a federal election year, that the commonwealth is going to discriminate against the sick and the elderly people of Western Australia. I do not think that is going to happen. Indeed, the federal health minister basically reassured one of my staff that the commonwealth would not discriminate against Western Australia.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : These arrangements do not come into play until 2014. Mr E.S. Ripper : It is $550 million in the next four years! I think the Treasurer may be worried about that, as would the health minister! Mr C.J. BARNETT : Maybe the Leader of the Opposition thinks that the commonwealth should discriminate against Western Australia. I do not think it should do that. Mr E.S. Ripper : They always have! What’s new about that! Mr C.J. BARNETT : I do not think, during a federal election year, that the commonwealth is going to discriminate against the sick and the elderly people of Western Australia. I do not think that is going to happen. Indeed, the federal health minister basically reassured one of my staff that the commonwealth would not discriminate against Western Australia.
Mr E.S. Ripper : It is $550 million in the next four years! I think the Treasurer may be worried about that, as would the health minister! Mr C.J. BARNETT : Maybe the Leader of the Opposition thinks that the commonwealth should discriminate against Western Australia. I do not think it should do that. Mr E.S. Ripper : They always have! What’s new about that! Mr C.J. BARNETT : I do not think, during a federal election year, that the commonwealth is going to discriminate against the sick and the elderly people of Western Australia. I do not think that is going to happen. Indeed, the federal health minister basically reassured one of my staff that the commonwealth would not discriminate against Western Australia.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Maybe the Leader of the Opposition thinks that the commonwealth should discriminate against Western Australia. I do not think it should do that. Mr E.S. Ripper : They always have! What’s new about that! Mr C.J. BARNETT : I do not think, during a federal election year, that the commonwealth is going to discriminate against the sick and the elderly people of Western Australia. I do not think that is going to happen. Indeed, the federal health minister basically reassured one of my staff that the commonwealth would not discriminate against Western Australia.
Mr E.S. Ripper : They always have! What’s new about that! Mr C.J. BARNETT : I do not think, during a federal election year, that the commonwealth is going to discriminate against the sick and the elderly people of Western Australia. I do not think that is going to happen. Indeed, the federal health minister basically reassured one of my staff that the commonwealth would not discriminate against Western Australia.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I do not think, during a federal election year, that the commonwealth is going to discriminate against the sick and the elderly people of Western Australia. I do not think that is going to happen. Indeed, the federal health minister basically reassured one of my staff that the commonwealth would not discriminate against Western Australia.
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