Question regarding the apparent contradiction of funding Port Hedland hospital while cancelling Moora's upgrade due to budget. Minister claims Port Hedland funding was already budgeted and Moora's funds redirected to Geraldton.

AnsweredQoN 1400Legislative Assembly
Asked
16 December 2003
Portfolio
Health

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to reports on page 5 of The West Australian on Monday, 15 December 2003, which state that the Government intends to build a new hospital at Port Hedland. (1) Given the minister’s decision to not proceed with the $6 million upgrade of the Moora District Hospital because of budget constraints, will the minister please advise how he is now able to find the $11 million required for stage 1 of the Port Hedland hospital redevelopment? (2) With reference to the capital works commitments outlined in the 2003-04 budget papers, which included Moora and Port Hedland hospitals, will the minister advise the basis on which he is now prioritising hospital upgrades? Mr J.A. McGINTY

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) I am pleased to provide some information to the House on this very important issue. A problem sometimes arises when a journalist is given a headline and asked to write a story to that headline: sometimes the facts do not quite line up between the headline and the story, and the headline ends up being discordant. I make the point that there was provision in this year’s budget of $11 million for redevelopment of the Port Hedland hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Was the Moora one there as well? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it was, and we have announced that Moora will not be proceeding, as we intend to direct that money to Geraldton. There is $11 million in the budget that was intended to be spent on the Port Hedland hospital. There is nothing new about that; it is on the public record. Mr M.F. Board: But Moora was in the budget. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, and we announced that we were not proceeding with it, so it is no longer there. Mr W.J. McNee: What was so good about Port Hedland then? Mr J.A. McGINTY: In respect of Port Hedland, the answer to the question - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: The answer to the question is that nothing has changed. It is as simple as that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: I do not think members opposite are interested in the answer.
(1) Given the minister’s decision to not proceed with the $6 million upgrade of the Moora District Hospital because of budget constraints, will the minister please advise how he is now able to find the $11 million required for stage 1 of the Port Hedland hospital redevelopment? (2) With reference to the capital works commitments outlined in the 2003-04 budget papers, which included Moora and Port Hedland hospitals, will the minister advise the basis on which he is now prioritising hospital upgrades? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) I am pleased to provide some information to the House on this very important issue. A problem sometimes arises when a journalist is given a headline and asked to write a story to that headline: sometimes the facts do not quite line up between the headline and the story, and the headline ends up being discordant. I make the point that there was provision in this year’s budget of $11 million for redevelopment of the Port Hedland hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Was the Moora one there as well? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it was, and we have announced that Moora will not be proceeding, as we intend to direct that money to Geraldton. There is $11 million in the budget that was intended to be spent on the Port Hedland hospital. There is nothing new about that; it is on the public record. Mr M.F. Board: But Moora was in the budget. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, and we announced that we were not proceeding with it, so it is no longer there. Mr W.J. McNee: What was so good about Port Hedland then? Mr J.A. McGINTY: In respect of Port Hedland, the answer to the question - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: The answer to the question is that nothing has changed. It is as simple as that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: I do not think members opposite are interested in the answer.
(2) With reference to the capital works commitments outlined in the 2003-04 budget papers, which included Moora and Port Hedland hospitals, will the minister advise the basis on which he is now prioritising hospital upgrades? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) I am pleased to provide some information to the House on this very important issue. A problem sometimes arises when a journalist is given a headline and asked to write a story to that headline: sometimes the facts do not quite line up between the headline and the story, and the headline ends up being discordant. I make the point that there was provision in this year’s budget of $11 million for redevelopment of the Port Hedland hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Was the Moora one there as well? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it was, and we have announced that Moora will not be proceeding, as we intend to direct that money to Geraldton. There is $11 million in the budget that was intended to be spent on the Port Hedland hospital. There is nothing new about that; it is on the public record. Mr M.F. Board: But Moora was in the budget. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, and we announced that we were not proceeding with it, so it is no longer there. Mr W.J. McNee: What was so good about Port Hedland then? Mr J.A. McGINTY: In respect of Port Hedland, the answer to the question - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: The answer to the question is that nothing has changed. It is as simple as that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: I do not think members opposite are interested in the answer.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) I am pleased to provide some information to the House on this very important issue. A problem sometimes arises when a journalist is given a headline and asked to write a story to that headline: sometimes the facts do not quite line up between the headline and the story, and the headline ends up being discordant. I make the point that there was provision in this year’s budget of $11 million for redevelopment of the Port Hedland hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Was the Moora one there as well? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it was, and we have announced that Moora will not be proceeding, as we intend to direct that money to Geraldton. There is $11 million in the budget that was intended to be spent on the Port Hedland hospital. There is nothing new about that; it is on the public record. Mr M.F. Board: But Moora was in the budget. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, and we announced that we were not proceeding with it, so it is no longer there. Mr W.J. McNee: What was so good about Port Hedland then? Mr J.A. McGINTY: In respect of Port Hedland, the answer to the question - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: The answer to the question is that nothing has changed. It is as simple as that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: I do not think members opposite are interested in the answer.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) I am pleased to provide some information to the House on this very important issue. A problem sometimes arises when a journalist is given a headline and asked to write a story to that headline: sometimes the facts do not quite line up between the headline and the story, and the headline ends up being discordant. I make the point that there was provision in this year’s budget of $11 million for redevelopment of the Port Hedland hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Was the Moora one there as well? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it was, and we have announced that Moora will not be proceeding, as we intend to direct that money to Geraldton. There is $11 million in the budget that was intended to be spent on the Port Hedland hospital. There is nothing new about that; it is on the public record. Mr M.F. Board: But Moora was in the budget. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, and we announced that we were not proceeding with it, so it is no longer there. Mr W.J. McNee: What was so good about Port Hedland then? Mr J.A. McGINTY: In respect of Port Hedland, the answer to the question - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: The answer to the question is that nothing has changed. It is as simple as that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: I do not think members opposite are interested in the answer.
(1)-(2) I am pleased to provide some information to the House on this very important issue. A problem sometimes arises when a journalist is given a headline and asked to write a story to that headline: sometimes the facts do not quite line up between the headline and the story, and the headline ends up being discordant. I make the point that there was provision in this year’s budget of $11 million for redevelopment of the Port Hedland hospital. Mr T.K. Waldron: Was the Moora one there as well? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it was, and we have announced that Moora will not be proceeding, as we intend to direct that money to Geraldton. There is $11 million in the budget that was intended to be spent on the Port Hedland hospital. There is nothing new about that; it is on the public record. Mr M.F. Board: But Moora was in the budget. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, and we announced that we were not proceeding with it, so it is no longer there. Mr W.J. McNee: What was so good about Port Hedland then? Mr J.A. McGINTY: In respect of Port Hedland, the answer to the question - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: The answer to the question is that nothing has changed. It is as simple as that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: I do not think members opposite are interested in the answer.
Mr T.K. Waldron: Was the Moora one there as well? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it was, and we have announced that Moora will not be proceeding, as we intend to direct that money to Geraldton. There is $11 million in the budget that was intended to be spent on the Port Hedland hospital. There is nothing new about that; it is on the public record. Mr M.F. Board: But Moora was in the budget. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, and we announced that we were not proceeding with it, so it is no longer there. Mr W.J. McNee: What was so good about Port Hedland then? Mr J.A. McGINTY: In respect of Port Hedland, the answer to the question - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: The answer to the question is that nothing has changed. It is as simple as that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: I do not think members opposite are interested in the answer.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it was, and we have announced that Moora will not be proceeding, as we intend to direct that money to Geraldton. There is $11 million in the budget that was intended to be spent on the Port Hedland hospital. There is nothing new about that; it is on the public record. Mr M.F. Board: But Moora was in the budget. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, and we announced that we were not proceeding with it, so it is no longer there. Mr W.J. McNee: What was so good about Port Hedland then? Mr J.A. McGINTY: In respect of Port Hedland, the answer to the question - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: The answer to the question is that nothing has changed. It is as simple as that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: I do not think members opposite are interested in the answer.
Mr M.F. Board: But Moora was in the budget. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, and we announced that we were not proceeding with it, so it is no longer there. Mr W.J. McNee: What was so good about Port Hedland then? Mr J.A. McGINTY: In respect of Port Hedland, the answer to the question - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: The answer to the question is that nothing has changed. It is as simple as that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: I do not think members opposite are interested in the answer.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, and we announced that we were not proceeding with it, so it is no longer there. Mr W.J. McNee: What was so good about Port Hedland then? Mr J.A. McGINTY: In respect of Port Hedland, the answer to the question - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: The answer to the question is that nothing has changed. It is as simple as that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: I do not think members opposite are interested in the answer.
Mr W.J. McNee: What was so good about Port Hedland then? Mr J.A. McGINTY: In respect of Port Hedland, the answer to the question - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: The answer to the question is that nothing has changed. It is as simple as that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: I do not think members opposite are interested in the answer.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: In respect of Port Hedland, the answer to the question - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: The answer to the question is that nothing has changed. It is as simple as that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: I do not think members opposite are interested in the answer.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: The answer to the question is that nothing has changed. It is as simple as that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: I do not think members opposite are interested in the answer.
The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: The answer to the question is that nothing has changed. It is as simple as that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: I do not think members opposite are interested in the answer.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: The answer to the question is that nothing has changed. It is as simple as that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: I do not think members opposite are interested in the answer.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: I do not think members opposite are interested in the answer.
The SPEAKER: Order! Mr J.A. McGINTY: I do not think members opposite are interested in the answer.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: I do not think members opposite are interested in the answer.

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