❓ Mr. Folkard asks about the allocation of $220 million in the 2020-21 state budget for WA's COVID-19 response, and how it will ensure the health system is prepared for outbreaks and reduce the risk of COVID-19. The Minister for Health outlines specific allocations and initiatives.
AnsweredQoN 793Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
HEALTH SYSTEM RESPONSE — 2020–21 STATE BUDGET
793. Mr
M.J. FOLKARD to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's significant investment in responding to COVID-19 and
ensuring that Western Australia is kept safe and strong.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how the $220 million in additional funding for Western
Australia's COVID response will ensure that our health system is fully
prepared to respond to any outbreaks?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this funding will further help reduce the risk of
COVID-19?
HEALTH SYSTEM RESPONSE — 2020–21 STATE BUDGET
793. Mr
M.J. FOLKARD to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's significant investment in responding to COVID-19 and
ensuring that Western Australia is kept safe and strong.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how the $220 million in additional funding for Western
Australia's COVID response will ensure that our health system is fully
prepared to respond to any outbreaks?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this funding will further help reduce the risk of
COVID-19?
AnswerView source ↗
I would like to thank the member for
his question and for the work that he does in the community to communicate the
great work being done by the McGowan government to keep Western Australians
safe and to keep our economy strong.
(1)–(2) In
this budget, the McGowan government allocated $220 million to continue to
reduce the risk to Western Australians of COVID-19. This includes $18.1 million
towards the State Health Incident Coordination
Centre and the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, which are two vital
parts of our system that have ensured
that our response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been swift and comprehensive . Those two entities have played a huge role
in providing strategic management, coordination of our response to the
COVID-19 pandemic, and advice to government to facilitate a statewide pandemic
response. The additional funding will also ensure that core activities continue
and make sure that the health system can continue to monitor the virus. A total
of $80 million has been included for costs expected to be incurred by WA Health
for quarantine and COVID-19 preparedness initiatives.
Our hotels have been the foundation
stone of our strong border policy to make sure that we minimise the risk to Western Australians. COVID-19 preparedness
initiatives include almost $1 million for a comprehensive respiratory
protection program for Western Australian hospitals to offer respirator test
fittings to staff who are at the highest risk of exposure to measles, tuberculosis
and COVID-19 to achieve a good fit for respirators. That program will ensure
that 12 500 of our 40 000 healthcare staff will be able to undertake regular
training to ensure that their personal protective equipment fits properly and
that they do not present a risk to patients or patients to them.
An additional $23 million has been
allocated to WA's health system to assure that it has adequate levels of COVID-19 medical equipment. Other important
initiatives include $13.9 million for regular and high- frequency
cleaning in schools, $45.5 million for the Western Australia Police Force to
continue its response to the pandemic, $13 million to continue additional
cleaning on public transport, and $2.7 million to expand the production of
re-usable facemasks in WA prisons. That is a great initiative that will ensure
that, in the event that we need to respond in a particular way, we will have
the means to do so. It is all part of the $9.6 billion health investment and
part of keeping Western Australians safe and our economy strong.
It
was surprising to see Mathias Cormann at it again, presumably on behalf of the
Liberals in this WA Parliament, once again, attacking our hard border,
which has kept us safe —
Dr D.J. Honey : The Chief
Medical Officer is not so keen, it would appear, if you look at the news.
Mr
R.H. COOK : I assume the member
for Cottesloe wants what the member for Dawesville wanted in his question today—that is, to pull our borders down. The member for Cottesloe wants
to pull our borders down. I am not sure why
he is wondering about our borders. He is the one that wants them pulled down.
Mathias Cormann, on behalf of the WA
Liberals, is at it again, sniping away and saying that we do not want to bring
down our borders because we do not want to and we are not ready to. He
is playing the populist role. We know the real reason Mathias Cormann is at it:
like the WA Liberals, he is in bed with Clive Palmer.
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup : How long is
this bow? This is ridiculous!
Mr
R.H. COOK : Member for Dawesville,
my bow is as long as the Leader of the Opposition saying that Clive Palmer
is a businessman who needs to be let in to Western Australia.
Mrs L.M. Harvey : I didn't
say that!
Mr R.H. COOK : The Leader of
the Opposition said he was a businessman who wants to come here for legitimate
reasons and should be let in. I do not know why members opposite are so
obsessed with siding with Clive Palmer. I really
do not know. Mathias Cormann seems to be their biggest champion in the Clive
Palmer corner. The Leader of the Opposition is there with a towel,
flagging him and getting the sweat off. Mathias Cormann is there, sponging him down and waiting for Clive Palmer to come back
for the next bout with the WA government and the WA people . I tell members
what: the WA Liberals are backing the wrong fighter because we will keep our
borders strong and keep Western Australians safe.
his question and for the work that he does in the community to communicate the
great work being done by the McGowan government to keep Western Australians
safe and to keep our economy strong.
(1)–(2) In
this budget, the McGowan government allocated $220 million to continue to
reduce the risk to Western Australians of COVID-19. This includes $18.1 million
towards the State Health Incident Coordination
Centre and the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, which are two vital
parts of our system that have ensured
that our response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been swift and comprehensive . Those two entities have played a huge role
in providing strategic management, coordination of our response to the
COVID-19 pandemic, and advice to government to facilitate a statewide pandemic
response. The additional funding will also ensure that core activities continue
and make sure that the health system can continue to monitor the virus. A total
of $80 million has been included for costs expected to be incurred by WA Health
for quarantine and COVID-19 preparedness initiatives.
Our hotels have been the foundation
stone of our strong border policy to make sure that we minimise the risk to Western Australians. COVID-19 preparedness
initiatives include almost $1 million for a comprehensive respiratory
protection program for Western Australian hospitals to offer respirator test
fittings to staff who are at the highest risk of exposure to measles, tuberculosis
and COVID-19 to achieve a good fit for respirators. That program will ensure
that 12 500 of our 40 000 healthcare staff will be able to undertake regular
training to ensure that their personal protective equipment fits properly and
that they do not present a risk to patients or patients to them.
An additional $23 million has been
allocated to WA's health system to assure that it has adequate levels of COVID-19 medical equipment. Other important
initiatives include $13.9 million for regular and high- frequency
cleaning in schools, $45.5 million for the Western Australia Police Force to
continue its response to the pandemic, $13 million to continue additional
cleaning on public transport, and $2.7 million to expand the production of
re-usable facemasks in WA prisons. That is a great initiative that will ensure
that, in the event that we need to respond in a particular way, we will have
the means to do so. It is all part of the $9.6 billion health investment and
part of keeping Western Australians safe and our economy strong.
It
was surprising to see Mathias Cormann at it again, presumably on behalf of the
Liberals in this WA Parliament, once again, attacking our hard border,
which has kept us safe —
Dr D.J. Honey : The Chief
Medical Officer is not so keen, it would appear, if you look at the news.
Mr
R.H. COOK : I assume the member
for Cottesloe wants what the member for Dawesville wanted in his question today—that is, to pull our borders down. The member for Cottesloe wants
to pull our borders down. I am not sure why
he is wondering about our borders. He is the one that wants them pulled down.
Mathias Cormann, on behalf of the WA
Liberals, is at it again, sniping away and saying that we do not want to bring
down our borders because we do not want to and we are not ready to. He
is playing the populist role. We know the real reason Mathias Cormann is at it:
like the WA Liberals, he is in bed with Clive Palmer.
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup : How long is
this bow? This is ridiculous!
Mr
R.H. COOK : Member for Dawesville,
my bow is as long as the Leader of the Opposition saying that Clive Palmer
is a businessman who needs to be let in to Western Australia.
Mrs L.M. Harvey : I didn't
say that!
Mr R.H. COOK : The Leader of
the Opposition said he was a businessman who wants to come here for legitimate
reasons and should be let in. I do not know why members opposite are so
obsessed with siding with Clive Palmer. I really
do not know. Mathias Cormann seems to be their biggest champion in the Clive
Palmer corner. The Leader of the Opposition is there with a towel,
flagging him and getting the sweat off. Mathias Cormann is there, sponging him down and waiting for Clive Palmer to come back
for the next bout with the WA government and the WA people . I tell members
what: the WA Liberals are backing the wrong fighter because we will keep our
borders strong and keep Western Australians safe.
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.