❓ Mr. Love questions the Premier on delays to the Geraldton Health Campus redevelopment, contrasting it with Perth infrastructure spending. The Premier defends the government's commitment and criticises the previous Liberal-National government's inaction.
AnsweredQoN 166Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GERALDTON HEALTH CAMPUS — REDEVELOPMENT
166. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier:
It has been 1 384 days
since the government's commitment to the people of Geraldton that they
would get a new hospital. It is 1 384 days
later and the community is still waiting. The Auditor General pointed out that
this is the most delayed project in the state. Should the people of
Geraldton accept that this Western Australian Labor government is willing to
prioritise a $140 million footbridge in Perth over this much-needed and
long-promised twenty-first century facility for the midwest?
166. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier:
It has been 1 384 days
since the government's commitment to the people of Geraldton that they
would get a new hospital. It is 1 384 days
later and the community is still waiting. The Auditor General pointed out that
this is the most delayed project in the state. Should the people of
Geraldton accept that this Western Australian Labor government is willing to
prioritise a $140 million footbridge in Perth over this much-needed and
long-promised twenty-first century facility for the midwest?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the Leader of the
Opposition. I love Geraldton hospital questions because they provide me with
the opportunity to ask: Who did the first
big upgrade of the Geraldton hospital? What sort of government was that? We then had eight and a half years of the Liberal government, and what did it do
at the Geraldton hospital? Since we have
come to office, we have committed to continue upgrading and redeveloping the
Geraldton hospital, because it is a great
community. The member for Geraldton has been advocating on behalf of the
hospital for a long time. Since being elected and making this
commitment, we have done stage 1, which involved upgrades to the entrance and
the parking amenity at that hospital. Then, of course, we had COVID-19, and
since then we have had a particularly troubled
construction industry. As a result of that, we struggled to make sure that we
contained costs. We drive value for the taxpayers' dollars; the
Liberal Party and Nationals WA simply spend it. We wanted to make sure that the
hospital would be redeveloped in the manner we wished. I am very proud that the
Minister for Health has already announced
that the tender has been awarded. That is an important next step. But let us be
really clear on this: the Liberals and Nationals have never cared about
Geraldton hospital. They have never cared about Geraldton hospital. It was a Gallop Labor government that
did the initial redevelopment of that hospital. In eight and a half years the Liberals and Nationals did nothing. I remember a former member for
Geraldton, a National—a lovely chap.
Mr D.A. Templeman : Woodhams.
Mr R.H. COOK : No, after him.
Mr D.A. Templeman : After him?
Mr
R.H. COOK : Yes. He was a lovely
chap. He always used to share with me his frustration with the Liberal–National government because it neglected that hospital so badly. I committed to
redeveloping that hospital. Stage 1 began under my leadership as the Minister
for Health. It is now going forward to stage 2 under the current Minister for Health. The people of Geraldton know that Lara
Dalton, the member for Geraldton, will stand up for them, and only a WA
Labor government will protect their health care.
Opposition. I love Geraldton hospital questions because they provide me with
the opportunity to ask: Who did the first
big upgrade of the Geraldton hospital? What sort of government was that? We then had eight and a half years of the Liberal government, and what did it do
at the Geraldton hospital? Since we have
come to office, we have committed to continue upgrading and redeveloping the
Geraldton hospital, because it is a great
community. The member for Geraldton has been advocating on behalf of the
hospital for a long time. Since being elected and making this
commitment, we have done stage 1, which involved upgrades to the entrance and
the parking amenity at that hospital. Then, of course, we had COVID-19, and
since then we have had a particularly troubled
construction industry. As a result of that, we struggled to make sure that we
contained costs. We drive value for the taxpayers' dollars; the
Liberal Party and Nationals WA simply spend it. We wanted to make sure that the
hospital would be redeveloped in the manner we wished. I am very proud that the
Minister for Health has already announced
that the tender has been awarded. That is an important next step. But let us be
really clear on this: the Liberals and Nationals have never cared about
Geraldton hospital. They have never cared about Geraldton hospital. It was a Gallop Labor government that
did the initial redevelopment of that hospital. In eight and a half years the Liberals and Nationals did nothing. I remember a former member for
Geraldton, a National—a lovely chap.
Mr D.A. Templeman : Woodhams.
Mr R.H. COOK : No, after him.
Mr D.A. Templeman : After him?
Mr
R.H. COOK : Yes. He was a lovely
chap. He always used to share with me his frustration with the Liberal–National government because it neglected that hospital so badly. I committed to
redeveloping that hospital. Stage 1 began under my leadership as the Minister
for Health. It is now going forward to stage 2 under the current Minister for Health. The people of Geraldton know that Lara
Dalton, the member for Geraldton, will stand up for them, and only a WA
Labor government will protect their health care.
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