❓ Opposition questions the Premier on aged care funding after the PM's comments. Premier defends the federal government's national efforts but highlights WA's specific aged-care bed shortage and the need for tailored solutions, while also criticising the previous Liberal-National government's impact on primary care.
AnsweredQoN 378Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Health—Residential aged-care beds
378. Mr Basil Zempilas to
the Premier:
I refer to comments
from the federal health minister confirming what the Prime Minister said at the
weekend—that the Albanese government had taken sufficient action to
fund aged care in WA. When the Premier goes to Canberra with his hand out, only
to have it slapped away by the Prime Minister, who will he then blame for the
crisis in our hospital system?
378. Mr Basil Zempilas to
the Premier:
I refer to comments
from the federal health minister confirming what the Prime Minister said at the
weekend—that the Albanese government had taken sufficient action to
fund aged care in WA. When the Premier goes to Canberra with his hand out, only
to have it slapped away by the Prime Minister, who will he then blame for the
crisis in our hospital system?
AnswerView source ↗
The Prime Minister
appropriately referenced the work that the federal Labor government is doing to
significantly uplift its level of investment in aged care nationally. It has
done some great work, but the fact of the matter remains that Western Australia
has a very low penetration of aged-care beds—the lowest in the country,
I believe. I am thinking of an article in the media today about an EY report
that referenced an almost 209-bed shortage of aged-care beds in Western
Australia. That is the reality.
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition, you have asked
the question. The Premier is responding.
Mr Roger Cook: The reality is that, nationally, it is
doing great work. The other piece of repair work it is doing, because of the
deplorable record in health of the Liberal–National government in
Canberra, is fixing our primary care system through the proliferation and
spread of urgent care clinics. For the first time in a long time, we have a
federal government that is taking deliberate and active steps to improve
primary care in Western Australia. That is one of the keys to making sure that
older adults and, indeed, everyone can stay away from hospital—by
getting preventive care and primary care. After the Liberal–National
coalition government in Canberra decimated the rebates to GPs through a freeze
it put on year after year, we saw plunging rates—
Several
members interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mr Adam Hort interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Kalamunda! Carry on, Premier.
Mr Roger Cook: Under the coalition government, we saw
plunging rates of bulk-billing in our GP sector. That is because of the freeze
that the coalition government put in place on GP rebates under the Medicare
system. Only a Labor government will back Medicare,
and that is what we have seen from the Albanese Labor government— ensuring
that more Australians have access to free primary care.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition!
Mr Roger Cook: As the Minister for Health has observed,
it has made significant changes to the way that it funds aged care so that more
aged-care providers can access easy finance to ensure that we can have a better
spread of aged-care beds in Australia. That works in our big cities and our big
urban centres on the east coast. Sometimes those programs are not as effective
on the west coast or in the smaller population centres or dispersed populations
in Western Australia. We will continue to work with the Albanese Labor
government on aged care.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt! That adds
no value to anything.
Mr Roger Cook: We will work with it on aged care and
primary care and in partnership with it across a whole range of policies to the
benefit of Western Australians.
appropriately referenced the work that the federal Labor government is doing to
significantly uplift its level of investment in aged care nationally. It has
done some great work, but the fact of the matter remains that Western Australia
has a very low penetration of aged-care beds—the lowest in the country,
I believe. I am thinking of an article in the media today about an EY report
that referenced an almost 209-bed shortage of aged-care beds in Western
Australia. That is the reality.
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition, you have asked
the question. The Premier is responding.
Mr Roger Cook: The reality is that, nationally, it is
doing great work. The other piece of repair work it is doing, because of the
deplorable record in health of the Liberal–National government in
Canberra, is fixing our primary care system through the proliferation and
spread of urgent care clinics. For the first time in a long time, we have a
federal government that is taking deliberate and active steps to improve
primary care in Western Australia. That is one of the keys to making sure that
older adults and, indeed, everyone can stay away from hospital—by
getting preventive care and primary care. After the Liberal–National
coalition government in Canberra decimated the rebates to GPs through a freeze
it put on year after year, we saw plunging rates—
Several
members interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mr Adam Hort interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Kalamunda! Carry on, Premier.
Mr Roger Cook: Under the coalition government, we saw
plunging rates of bulk-billing in our GP sector. That is because of the freeze
that the coalition government put in place on GP rebates under the Medicare
system. Only a Labor government will back Medicare,
and that is what we have seen from the Albanese Labor government— ensuring
that more Australians have access to free primary care.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition!
Mr Roger Cook: As the Minister for Health has observed,
it has made significant changes to the way that it funds aged care so that more
aged-care providers can access easy finance to ensure that we can have a better
spread of aged-care beds in Australia. That works in our big cities and our big
urban centres on the east coast. Sometimes those programs are not as effective
on the west coast or in the smaller population centres or dispersed populations
in Western Australia. We will continue to work with the Albanese Labor
government on aged care.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt! That adds
no value to anything.
Mr Roger Cook: We will work with it on aged care and
primary care and in partnership with it across a whole range of policies to the
benefit of Western Australians.
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