❓ Hon. Sally Talbot questions the Minister for Mental Health regarding conflicting statements about licensing delays for the Joondalup sub-acute mental health unit. The Minister denies licensing approval delays caused the opening delay, attributing it instead to the time taken to submit the licensing request.
AnsweredQoN 449Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
JOONDALUP SUBACUTE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT
449. Hon SALLY
TALBOT to the Minister for Mental Health:
Budget paper No 2
reads —
Due to delays in receiving licensing approval, the Joondalup sub-acute
unit did not commence operation until May 2013.''
Yesterday, in
question time, the minister said —
No licensing approval delays delayed the commencement of operations at
the new Joondalup subacute service.
Are the budget papers
wrong or has the minister misled the house?
449. Hon SALLY
TALBOT to the Minister for Mental Health:
Budget paper No 2
reads —
Due to delays in receiving licensing approval, the Joondalup sub-acute
unit did not commence operation until May 2013.''
Yesterday, in
question time, the minister said —
No licensing approval delays delayed the commencement of operations at
the new Joondalup subacute service.
Are the budget papers
wrong or has the minister misled the house?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for the question. Obviously, what I was saying to the member, which I will just
go over again, was that the actual time that the licensing was put in for
approval did not delay the opening of the facility. What occurred was that the
time that the licensing was put in for approval was the thing that took the
time for the facility to open in May. We opened it in January; its construction
was mostly completed at that time. Neami Ltd had only just taken —
Hon Sally Talbot : Were there licensing approval delays?
Hon HELEN MORTON : The honourable member should let me finish!
Hon Sally Talbot interjected.
The PRESIDENT : Order!
Hon HELEN MORTON : If the member really wants the answer, she
will let me finish—that is, if she really wants the answer. I do not
know if she does!
The PRESIDENT : Order! Minister,
I want the answer, and if you deliver it through the Chair, everybody gets it
without any opportunities or excuse to interject.
Hon HELEN MORTON : Thank you, Mr President, because this is an
important issue. We opened the facility in January. It was mostly finished at
that time. I think that Neami had some areas that still needed to be changed or
improved. Then, of course, it had the responsibility to put in the request for
licensing. The time at which that happened was the time the delays were
occurring. Once the licensing approval was sought, that was not delayed. If I
recall rightly, the answer was something like —
Point of Order
Hon SALLY TALBOT : I know it is difficult, generally with
questions without notice, but the budget papers say '' Due to delays in receiving licensing approval ''; I am asking the minister whether
that is correct.
The PRESIDENT : I do not believe there is a point of order. I
heard the minister trying to explain something around the approval of licences.
I think it is appropriate if she explains that issue to the house.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Hon HELEN MORTON : I will just finish up by saying that the
period of time it took to get the licensing in for approval was the amount of
time taken between the time that we were there in May. But once the licensing
approvals were put in place, they were handled very, very quickly.
for the question. Obviously, what I was saying to the member, which I will just
go over again, was that the actual time that the licensing was put in for
approval did not delay the opening of the facility. What occurred was that the
time that the licensing was put in for approval was the thing that took the
time for the facility to open in May. We opened it in January; its construction
was mostly completed at that time. Neami Ltd had only just taken —
Hon Sally Talbot : Were there licensing approval delays?
Hon HELEN MORTON : The honourable member should let me finish!
Hon Sally Talbot interjected.
The PRESIDENT : Order!
Hon HELEN MORTON : If the member really wants the answer, she
will let me finish—that is, if she really wants the answer. I do not
know if she does!
The PRESIDENT : Order! Minister,
I want the answer, and if you deliver it through the Chair, everybody gets it
without any opportunities or excuse to interject.
Hon HELEN MORTON : Thank you, Mr President, because this is an
important issue. We opened the facility in January. It was mostly finished at
that time. I think that Neami had some areas that still needed to be changed or
improved. Then, of course, it had the responsibility to put in the request for
licensing. The time at which that happened was the time the delays were
occurring. Once the licensing approval was sought, that was not delayed. If I
recall rightly, the answer was something like —
Point of Order
Hon SALLY TALBOT : I know it is difficult, generally with
questions without notice, but the budget papers say '' Due to delays in receiving licensing approval ''; I am asking the minister whether
that is correct.
The PRESIDENT : I do not believe there is a point of order. I
heard the minister trying to explain something around the approval of licences.
I think it is appropriate if she explains that issue to the house.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Hon HELEN MORTON : I will just finish up by saying that the
period of time it took to get the licensing in for approval was the amount of
time taken between the time that we were there in May. But once the licensing
approvals were put in place, they were handled very, very quickly.
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