❓ Mr. Quigley questions the Attorney General about the delay in the Andrew Allan inquest. Mr. Porter defends the timeline, citing the complexity of medical cases and backlog issues inherited from the previous government.
AnsweredQoN 613Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
NORTHAm HOSPITAL — ANDREW ALLAN — CORONIAL INQUEST
I refer to the potential inquest into the death of Andrew Allan at Northam Hospital 12 months ago. Given that the medical and police reports into this incident were actually completed at least six months ago, why did the Attorney General give a statement to The Sunday Times that, according to my notes, outlined the following — In complicated medical cases a preliminary investigation period of 12 months before the inquest, whilst difficult for families, is not unusual in WA or any State in Australia. Now that investigation period in this case is drawing to a close a decision regarding the inquest is expected to be made soon. Mr C.C. PORTER
I refer to the potential inquest into the death of Andrew Allan at Northam Hospital 12 months ago. Given that the medical and police reports into this incident were actually completed at least six months ago, why did the Attorney General give a statement to The Sunday Times that, according to my notes, outlined the following — In complicated medical cases a preliminary investigation period of 12 months before the inquest, whilst difficult for families, is not unusual in WA or any State in Australia. Now that investigation period in this case is drawing to a close a decision regarding the inquest is expected to be made soon. Mr C.C. PORTER
AnswerView source ↗
That information, as far as I am aware, was entirely correct and it came from the Department of the Attorney General through the coroner’s office, as I understand. Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected. The SPEAKER : Member for Midland! Mr C.C. PORTER : The point that was being made there, member, is that it is a very difficult situation. The Allans have been waiting for some time, but the information that I am given is that when the questions surrounding the death relate to the adequacy of medical treatment, those investigations require a significantly higher standard of investigation due to the different complexities and nature of the case. There are no time standards set for the completion of inquests of that type. I am informed by the coroner’s office directly through the Attorney General’s department that the investigation of this death has been progressed more quickly than would be expected in other cases of this type. The reason I gave that statement is that that was the information that I received and I did not want to create a perception in the community that investigations into matters as difficult and as complicated as this would be occurring in periods shorter than 12 months regularly or indeed at all. The information that I am being given through the State Coroner’s office and the Department of the Attorney General is that 12 months is actually, in relative and comparative terms in the history of this jurisdiction under both governments and in other jurisdictions, a relatively speedy amount of time to take to get to this point. At this point, the inquest decision is now being made. The information that I have is that this is not in large part due to funding or underfunding decisions, but is in significant part due to the complexities of the case so far. The other thing that I said in that statement to The Sunday Times was that it was somewhat hypocritical for the member to make the statements that he did given that over an eight-year period, a huge backlog developed in the Coroner’s Court. The coroner was coming regularly to the previous government, I understand, for additional funds — Mr J.R. Quigley : You’ve been in government for three years! Mr C.C. PORTER : And over those three years, we have provided $1.8 million to the coroner to tackle that backlog. That was something that the member’s government simply never did. The backlog that we are tackling is the one that the previous government created!
That information, as far as I am aware, was entirely correct and it came from the Department of the Attorney General through the coroner’s office, as I understand. Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected. The SPEAKER : Member for Midland! Mr C.C. PORTER : The point that was being made there, member, is that it is a very difficult situation. The Allans have been waiting for some time, but the information that I am given is that when the questions surrounding the death relate to the adequacy of medical treatment, those investigations require a significantly higher standard of investigation due to the different complexities and nature of the case. There are no time standards set for the completion of inquests of that type. I am informed by the coroner’s office directly through the Attorney General’s department that the investigation of this death has been progressed more quickly than would be expected in other cases of this type. The reason I gave that statement is that that was the information that I received and I did not want to create a perception in the community that investigations into matters as difficult and as complicated as this would be occurring in periods shorter than 12 months regularly or indeed at all. The information that I am being given through the State Coroner’s office and the Department of the Attorney General is that 12 months is actually, in relative and comparative terms in the history of this jurisdiction under both governments and in other jurisdictions, a relatively speedy amount of time to take to get to this point. At this point, the inquest decision is now being made. The information that I have is that this is not in large part due to funding or underfunding decisions, but is in significant part due to the complexities of the case so far. The other thing that I said in that statement to The Sunday Times was that it was somewhat hypocritical for the member to make the statements that he did given that over an eight-year period, a huge backlog developed in the Coroner’s Court. The coroner was coming regularly to the previous government, I understand, for additional funds — Mr J.R. Quigley : You’ve been in government for three years! Mr C.C. PORTER : And over those three years, we have provided $1.8 million to the coroner to tackle that backlog. That was something that the member’s government simply never did. The backlog that we are tackling is the one that the previous government created!
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected. The SPEAKER : Member for Midland! Mr C.C. PORTER : The point that was being made there, member, is that it is a very difficult situation. The Allans have been waiting for some time, but the information that I am given is that when the questions surrounding the death relate to the adequacy of medical treatment, those investigations require a significantly higher standard of investigation due to the different complexities and nature of the case. There are no time standards set for the completion of inquests of that type. I am informed by the coroner’s office directly through the Attorney General’s department that the investigation of this death has been progressed more quickly than would be expected in other cases of this type. The reason I gave that statement is that that was the information that I received and I did not want to create a perception in the community that investigations into matters as difficult and as complicated as this would be occurring in periods shorter than 12 months regularly or indeed at all. The information that I am being given through the State Coroner’s office and the Department of the Attorney General is that 12 months is actually, in relative and comparative terms in the history of this jurisdiction under both governments and in other jurisdictions, a relatively speedy amount of time to take to get to this point. At this point, the inquest decision is now being made. The information that I have is that this is not in large part due to funding or underfunding decisions, but is in significant part due to the complexities of the case so far. The other thing that I said in that statement to The Sunday Times was that it was somewhat hypocritical for the member to make the statements that he did given that over an eight-year period, a huge backlog developed in the Coroner’s Court. The coroner was coming regularly to the previous government, I understand, for additional funds — Mr J.R. Quigley : You’ve been in government for three years! Mr C.C. PORTER : And over those three years, we have provided $1.8 million to the coroner to tackle that backlog. That was something that the member’s government simply never did. The backlog that we are tackling is the one that the previous government created!
The SPEAKER : Member for Midland! Mr C.C. PORTER : The point that was being made there, member, is that it is a very difficult situation. The Allans have been waiting for some time, but the information that I am given is that when the questions surrounding the death relate to the adequacy of medical treatment, those investigations require a significantly higher standard of investigation due to the different complexities and nature of the case. There are no time standards set for the completion of inquests of that type. I am informed by the coroner’s office directly through the Attorney General’s department that the investigation of this death has been progressed more quickly than would be expected in other cases of this type. The reason I gave that statement is that that was the information that I received and I did not want to create a perception in the community that investigations into matters as difficult and as complicated as this would be occurring in periods shorter than 12 months regularly or indeed at all. The information that I am being given through the State Coroner’s office and the Department of the Attorney General is that 12 months is actually, in relative and comparative terms in the history of this jurisdiction under both governments and in other jurisdictions, a relatively speedy amount of time to take to get to this point. At this point, the inquest decision is now being made. The information that I have is that this is not in large part due to funding or underfunding decisions, but is in significant part due to the complexities of the case so far. The other thing that I said in that statement to The Sunday Times was that it was somewhat hypocritical for the member to make the statements that he did given that over an eight-year period, a huge backlog developed in the Coroner’s Court. The coroner was coming regularly to the previous government, I understand, for additional funds — Mr J.R. Quigley : You’ve been in government for three years! Mr C.C. PORTER : And over those three years, we have provided $1.8 million to the coroner to tackle that backlog. That was something that the member’s government simply never did. The backlog that we are tackling is the one that the previous government created!
Mr C.C. PORTER : The point that was being made there, member, is that it is a very difficult situation. The Allans have been waiting for some time, but the information that I am given is that when the questions surrounding the death relate to the adequacy of medical treatment, those investigations require a significantly higher standard of investigation due to the different complexities and nature of the case. There are no time standards set for the completion of inquests of that type. I am informed by the coroner’s office directly through the Attorney General’s department that the investigation of this death has been progressed more quickly than would be expected in other cases of this type. The reason I gave that statement is that that was the information that I received and I did not want to create a perception in the community that investigations into matters as difficult and as complicated as this would be occurring in periods shorter than 12 months regularly or indeed at all. The information that I am being given through the State Coroner’s office and the Department of the Attorney General is that 12 months is actually, in relative and comparative terms in the history of this jurisdiction under both governments and in other jurisdictions, a relatively speedy amount of time to take to get to this point. At this point, the inquest decision is now being made. The information that I have is that this is not in large part due to funding or underfunding decisions, but is in significant part due to the complexities of the case so far. The other thing that I said in that statement to The Sunday Times was that it was somewhat hypocritical for the member to make the statements that he did given that over an eight-year period, a huge backlog developed in the Coroner’s Court. The coroner was coming regularly to the previous government, I understand, for additional funds — Mr J.R. Quigley : You’ve been in government for three years! Mr C.C. PORTER : And over those three years, we have provided $1.8 million to the coroner to tackle that backlog. That was something that the member’s government simply never did. The backlog that we are tackling is the one that the previous government created!
The other thing that I said in that statement to The Sunday Times was that it was somewhat hypocritical for the member to make the statements that he did given that over an eight-year period, a huge backlog developed in the Coroner’s Court. The coroner was coming regularly to the previous government, I understand, for additional funds — Mr J.R. Quigley : You’ve been in government for three years! Mr C.C. PORTER : And over those three years, we have provided $1.8 million to the coroner to tackle that backlog. That was something that the member’s government simply never did. The backlog that we are tackling is the one that the previous government created!
Mr J.R. Quigley : You’ve been in government for three years! Mr C.C. PORTER : And over those three years, we have provided $1.8 million to the coroner to tackle that backlog. That was something that the member’s government simply never did. The backlog that we are tackling is the one that the previous government created!
Mr C.C. PORTER : And over those three years, we have provided $1.8 million to the coroner to tackle that backlog. That was something that the member’s government simply never did. The backlog that we are tackling is the one that the previous government created!
That information, as far as I am aware, was entirely correct and it came from the Department of the Attorney General through the coroner’s office, as I understand. Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected. The SPEAKER : Member for Midland! Mr C.C. PORTER : The point that was being made there, member, is that it is a very difficult situation. The Allans have been waiting for some time, but the information that I am given is that when the questions surrounding the death relate to the adequacy of medical treatment, those investigations require a significantly higher standard of investigation due to the different complexities and nature of the case. There are no time standards set for the completion of inquests of that type. I am informed by the coroner’s office directly through the Attorney General’s department that the investigation of this death has been progressed more quickly than would be expected in other cases of this type. The reason I gave that statement is that that was the information that I received and I did not want to create a perception in the community that investigations into matters as difficult and as complicated as this would be occurring in periods shorter than 12 months regularly or indeed at all. The information that I am being given through the State Coroner’s office and the Department of the Attorney General is that 12 months is actually, in relative and comparative terms in the history of this jurisdiction under both governments and in other jurisdictions, a relatively speedy amount of time to take to get to this point. At this point, the inquest decision is now being made. The information that I have is that this is not in large part due to funding or underfunding decisions, but is in significant part due to the complexities of the case so far. The other thing that I said in that statement to The Sunday Times was that it was somewhat hypocritical for the member to make the statements that he did given that over an eight-year period, a huge backlog developed in the Coroner’s Court. The coroner was coming regularly to the previous government, I understand, for additional funds — Mr J.R. Quigley : You’ve been in government for three years! Mr C.C. PORTER : And over those three years, we have provided $1.8 million to the coroner to tackle that backlog. That was something that the member’s government simply never did. The backlog that we are tackling is the one that the previous government created!
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected. The SPEAKER : Member for Midland! Mr C.C. PORTER : The point that was being made there, member, is that it is a very difficult situation. The Allans have been waiting for some time, but the information that I am given is that when the questions surrounding the death relate to the adequacy of medical treatment, those investigations require a significantly higher standard of investigation due to the different complexities and nature of the case. There are no time standards set for the completion of inquests of that type. I am informed by the coroner’s office directly through the Attorney General’s department that the investigation of this death has been progressed more quickly than would be expected in other cases of this type. The reason I gave that statement is that that was the information that I received and I did not want to create a perception in the community that investigations into matters as difficult and as complicated as this would be occurring in periods shorter than 12 months regularly or indeed at all. The information that I am being given through the State Coroner’s office and the Department of the Attorney General is that 12 months is actually, in relative and comparative terms in the history of this jurisdiction under both governments and in other jurisdictions, a relatively speedy amount of time to take to get to this point. At this point, the inquest decision is now being made. The information that I have is that this is not in large part due to funding or underfunding decisions, but is in significant part due to the complexities of the case so far. The other thing that I said in that statement to The Sunday Times was that it was somewhat hypocritical for the member to make the statements that he did given that over an eight-year period, a huge backlog developed in the Coroner’s Court. The coroner was coming regularly to the previous government, I understand, for additional funds — Mr J.R. Quigley : You’ve been in government for three years! Mr C.C. PORTER : And over those three years, we have provided $1.8 million to the coroner to tackle that backlog. That was something that the member’s government simply never did. The backlog that we are tackling is the one that the previous government created!
The SPEAKER : Member for Midland! Mr C.C. PORTER : The point that was being made there, member, is that it is a very difficult situation. The Allans have been waiting for some time, but the information that I am given is that when the questions surrounding the death relate to the adequacy of medical treatment, those investigations require a significantly higher standard of investigation due to the different complexities and nature of the case. There are no time standards set for the completion of inquests of that type. I am informed by the coroner’s office directly through the Attorney General’s department that the investigation of this death has been progressed more quickly than would be expected in other cases of this type. The reason I gave that statement is that that was the information that I received and I did not want to create a perception in the community that investigations into matters as difficult and as complicated as this would be occurring in periods shorter than 12 months regularly or indeed at all. The information that I am being given through the State Coroner’s office and the Department of the Attorney General is that 12 months is actually, in relative and comparative terms in the history of this jurisdiction under both governments and in other jurisdictions, a relatively speedy amount of time to take to get to this point. At this point, the inquest decision is now being made. The information that I have is that this is not in large part due to funding or underfunding decisions, but is in significant part due to the complexities of the case so far. The other thing that I said in that statement to The Sunday Times was that it was somewhat hypocritical for the member to make the statements that he did given that over an eight-year period, a huge backlog developed in the Coroner’s Court. The coroner was coming regularly to the previous government, I understand, for additional funds — Mr J.R. Quigley : You’ve been in government for three years! Mr C.C. PORTER : And over those three years, we have provided $1.8 million to the coroner to tackle that backlog. That was something that the member’s government simply never did. The backlog that we are tackling is the one that the previous government created!
Mr C.C. PORTER : The point that was being made there, member, is that it is a very difficult situation. The Allans have been waiting for some time, but the information that I am given is that when the questions surrounding the death relate to the adequacy of medical treatment, those investigations require a significantly higher standard of investigation due to the different complexities and nature of the case. There are no time standards set for the completion of inquests of that type. I am informed by the coroner’s office directly through the Attorney General’s department that the investigation of this death has been progressed more quickly than would be expected in other cases of this type. The reason I gave that statement is that that was the information that I received and I did not want to create a perception in the community that investigations into matters as difficult and as complicated as this would be occurring in periods shorter than 12 months regularly or indeed at all. The information that I am being given through the State Coroner’s office and the Department of the Attorney General is that 12 months is actually, in relative and comparative terms in the history of this jurisdiction under both governments and in other jurisdictions, a relatively speedy amount of time to take to get to this point. At this point, the inquest decision is now being made. The information that I have is that this is not in large part due to funding or underfunding decisions, but is in significant part due to the complexities of the case so far. The other thing that I said in that statement to The Sunday Times was that it was somewhat hypocritical for the member to make the statements that he did given that over an eight-year period, a huge backlog developed in the Coroner’s Court. The coroner was coming regularly to the previous government, I understand, for additional funds — Mr J.R. Quigley : You’ve been in government for three years! Mr C.C. PORTER : And over those three years, we have provided $1.8 million to the coroner to tackle that backlog. That was something that the member’s government simply never did. The backlog that we are tackling is the one that the previous government created!
The other thing that I said in that statement to The Sunday Times was that it was somewhat hypocritical for the member to make the statements that he did given that over an eight-year period, a huge backlog developed in the Coroner’s Court. The coroner was coming regularly to the previous government, I understand, for additional funds — Mr J.R. Quigley : You’ve been in government for three years! Mr C.C. PORTER : And over those three years, we have provided $1.8 million to the coroner to tackle that backlog. That was something that the member’s government simply never did. The backlog that we are tackling is the one that the previous government created!
Mr J.R. Quigley : You’ve been in government for three years! Mr C.C. PORTER : And over those three years, we have provided $1.8 million to the coroner to tackle that backlog. That was something that the member’s government simply never did. The backlog that we are tackling is the one that the previous government created!
Mr C.C. PORTER : And over those three years, we have provided $1.8 million to the coroner to tackle that backlog. That was something that the member’s government simply never did. The backlog that we are tackling is the one that the previous government created!
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