❓ Mr. Hunter questions the Minister for Health about disparities in Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS) subsidies, contrasting funding for a Burswood racetrack with the needs of regional cancer patients like Graham from Toodyay. The Minister defends the government's increase to the PATS subsidy.
AnsweredQoN 165Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Patient Assisted Travel Scheme
165. Mr Lachlan Hunter to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the Labor
government's obsession with pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into an
unwanted racetrack at Burswood, which is just a vanity project in the city,
when regional cancer patients like Graham from Toodyay in my electorate are
left counting every kilometre just to access essential treatment; and can the minister
explain why Graham, who must travel to Midland for cancer care, receives only
$20 per round trip from the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme simply because he
lives 70 kilometres from the hospital while others who are marginally further
away in places like Northam and York receive greater support?
The Speaker: The minister.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Leader of the Opposition, this
is your side's question. You have asked the question; let the minister respond.
165. Mr Lachlan Hunter to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the Labor
government's obsession with pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into an
unwanted racetrack at Burswood, which is just a vanity project in the city,
when regional cancer patients like Graham from Toodyay in my electorate are
left counting every kilometre just to access essential treatment; and can the minister
explain why Graham, who must travel to Midland for cancer care, receives only
$20 per round trip from the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme simply because he
lives 70 kilometres from the hospital while others who are marginally further
away in places like Northam and York receive greater support?
The Speaker: The minister.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Leader of the Opposition, this
is your side's question. You have asked the question; let the minister respond.
AnswerView source ↗
I want to thank the
member for the question because it is an opportunity to talk about the really
important election commitment that we made to increase the Patient Assisted
Travel Scheme subsidy from 26c per kilometre to 40c per
kilometre—the biggest increase ever, member. It took a Labor government
to deliver that increase. It does make me reflect on and wonder what it was
that was—
Mr Shane Love interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Nationals! Carry on,
minister.
Ms Meredith Hammat: It is telling, Speaker, that the former
Liberal–National government did not increase the Patient Assisted
Travel Scheme to 40c per kilometre.
Several members
interjected.
Ms Meredith Hammat: They did not increase it. It took
a Labor government to make the commitment for that increase at the last
election. I am really proud of the work we are doing for regional people, which
includes increasing the subsidy under the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme. I am
looking forward to the state budget being handed down, which will include more
information.
member for the question because it is an opportunity to talk about the really
important election commitment that we made to increase the Patient Assisted
Travel Scheme subsidy from 26c per kilometre to 40c per
kilometre—the biggest increase ever, member. It took a Labor government
to deliver that increase. It does make me reflect on and wonder what it was
that was—
Mr Shane Love interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Nationals! Carry on,
minister.
Ms Meredith Hammat: It is telling, Speaker, that the former
Liberal–National government did not increase the Patient Assisted
Travel Scheme to 40c per kilometre.
Several members
interjected.
Ms Meredith Hammat: They did not increase it. It took
a Labor government to make the commitment for that increase at the last
election. I am really proud of the work we are doing for regional people, which
includes increasing the subsidy under the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme. I am
looking forward to the state budget being handed down, which will include more
information.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.