❓ The Premier reports on the COAG meeting, highlighting discussions on submarine maintenance, timber industry restructuring, energy industry review, salinity management, and the omission of aged care from the agenda, criticizing the Commonwealth's aged care strategy and its financial impact on WA.
AnsweredQoN 124Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS MEETING
Can the Premier provide a report to the Parliament on the outcome of the Council of Australian Governments meeting that he attended last Friday? Dr GALLOP
Can the Premier provide a report to the Parliament on the outcome of the Council of Australian Governments meeting that he attended last Friday? Dr GALLOP
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question and for the work he is doing as my parliamentary secretary, particularly on defence issues in Western Australia. I spoke to the Prime Minister outside the context of the formal meeting about the refitting and maintenance of Australian submarines. The State Government will continue to pursue that issue. I also raised the issue of the $15 million that this State needs to help restructure the timber industry in Western Australia. Some good business was raised at the COAG meeting. As members know, a review was established to look at the strategic requirements of the Australian energy industry into the twenty-first century. That was a good decision. Problems remain for this State concerning the issue of salinity and how the crisis will be funded and managed in Western Australia. What was interesting about the COAG meeting was not what was on the agenda, but what was not on the agenda. The Labor States made it clear that one particular issue that goes to the heart of commonwealth-state relations should have been on the agenda. Aged care is one of the most important issues in Australia today. In Western Australia, about 300 senior citizens are in hospital beds when they should be in nursing homes. It is not appropriate that those people are bundled into hospital beds. The Commonwealth must completely rethink its whole aged care strategy, which is costing this State between $20 million and $30 million a year because the Commonwealth shifted that cost across to state budgets. I am proud to say that the Labor States will not leave this issue alone. Victoria and Western Australia have agreed to develop a paper on aged care and its impact on commonwealth-state relations. The Labor States will ensure that it is on the agenda of the next COAG meeting. There is a little possibility that the next COAG meeting will be a bit more interesting, because Australia might have a new Prime Minister next time around. Government members: Hear, hear!
Dr GALLOP replied: I thank the member for the question and for the work he is doing as my parliamentary secretary, particularly on defence issues in Western Australia. I spoke to the Prime Minister outside the context of the formal meeting about the refitting and maintenance of Australian submarines. The State Government will continue to pursue that issue. I also raised the issue of the $15 million that this State needs to help restructure the timber industry in Western Australia. Some good business was raised at the COAG meeting. As members know, a review was established to look at the strategic requirements of the Australian energy industry into the twenty-first century. That was a good decision. Problems remain for this State concerning the issue of salinity and how the crisis will be funded and managed in Western Australia. What was interesting about the COAG meeting was not what was on the agenda, but what was not on the agenda. The Labor States made it clear that one particular issue that goes to the heart of commonwealth-state relations should have been on the agenda. Aged care is one of the most important issues in Australia today. In Western Australia, about 300 senior citizens are in hospital beds when they should be in nursing homes. It is not appropriate that those people are bundled into hospital beds. The Commonwealth must completely rethink its whole aged care strategy, which is costing this State between $20 million and $30 million a year because the Commonwealth shifted that cost across to state budgets. I am proud to say that the Labor States will not leave this issue alone. Victoria and Western Australia have agreed to develop a paper on aged care and its impact on commonwealth-state relations. The Labor States will ensure that it is on the agenda of the next COAG meeting. There is a little possibility that the next COAG meeting will be a bit more interesting, because Australia might have a new Prime Minister next time around. Government members: Hear, hear!
I thank the member for the question and for the work he is doing as my parliamentary secretary, particularly on defence issues in Western Australia. I spoke to the Prime Minister outside the context of the formal meeting about the refitting and maintenance of Australian submarines. The State Government will continue to pursue that issue. I also raised the issue of the $15 million that this State needs to help restructure the timber industry in Western Australia. Some good business was raised at the COAG meeting. As members know, a review was established to look at the strategic requirements of the Australian energy industry into the twenty-first century. That was a good decision. Problems remain for this State concerning the issue of salinity and how the crisis will be funded and managed in Western Australia. What was interesting about the COAG meeting was not what was on the agenda, but what was not on the agenda. The Labor States made it clear that one particular issue that goes to the heart of commonwealth-state relations should have been on the agenda. Aged care is one of the most important issues in Australia today. In Western Australia, about 300 senior citizens are in hospital beds when they should be in nursing homes. It is not appropriate that those people are bundled into hospital beds. The Commonwealth must completely rethink its whole aged care strategy, which is costing this State between $20 million and $30 million a year because the Commonwealth shifted that cost across to state budgets. I am proud to say that the Labor States will not leave this issue alone. Victoria and Western Australia have agreed to develop a paper on aged care and its impact on commonwealth-state relations. The Labor States will ensure that it is on the agenda of the next COAG meeting. There is a little possibility that the next COAG meeting will be a bit more interesting, because Australia might have a new Prime Minister next time around. Government members: Hear, hear!
Government members: Hear, hear!
Dr GALLOP replied: I thank the member for the question and for the work he is doing as my parliamentary secretary, particularly on defence issues in Western Australia. I spoke to the Prime Minister outside the context of the formal meeting about the refitting and maintenance of Australian submarines. The State Government will continue to pursue that issue. I also raised the issue of the $15 million that this State needs to help restructure the timber industry in Western Australia. Some good business was raised at the COAG meeting. As members know, a review was established to look at the strategic requirements of the Australian energy industry into the twenty-first century. That was a good decision. Problems remain for this State concerning the issue of salinity and how the crisis will be funded and managed in Western Australia. What was interesting about the COAG meeting was not what was on the agenda, but what was not on the agenda. The Labor States made it clear that one particular issue that goes to the heart of commonwealth-state relations should have been on the agenda. Aged care is one of the most important issues in Australia today. In Western Australia, about 300 senior citizens are in hospital beds when they should be in nursing homes. It is not appropriate that those people are bundled into hospital beds. The Commonwealth must completely rethink its whole aged care strategy, which is costing this State between $20 million and $30 million a year because the Commonwealth shifted that cost across to state budgets. I am proud to say that the Labor States will not leave this issue alone. Victoria and Western Australia have agreed to develop a paper on aged care and its impact on commonwealth-state relations. The Labor States will ensure that it is on the agenda of the next COAG meeting. There is a little possibility that the next COAG meeting will be a bit more interesting, because Australia might have a new Prime Minister next time around. Government members: Hear, hear!
I thank the member for the question and for the work he is doing as my parliamentary secretary, particularly on defence issues in Western Australia. I spoke to the Prime Minister outside the context of the formal meeting about the refitting and maintenance of Australian submarines. The State Government will continue to pursue that issue. I also raised the issue of the $15 million that this State needs to help restructure the timber industry in Western Australia. Some good business was raised at the COAG meeting. As members know, a review was established to look at the strategic requirements of the Australian energy industry into the twenty-first century. That was a good decision. Problems remain for this State concerning the issue of salinity and how the crisis will be funded and managed in Western Australia. What was interesting about the COAG meeting was not what was on the agenda, but what was not on the agenda. The Labor States made it clear that one particular issue that goes to the heart of commonwealth-state relations should have been on the agenda. Aged care is one of the most important issues in Australia today. In Western Australia, about 300 senior citizens are in hospital beds when they should be in nursing homes. It is not appropriate that those people are bundled into hospital beds. The Commonwealth must completely rethink its whole aged care strategy, which is costing this State between $20 million and $30 million a year because the Commonwealth shifted that cost across to state budgets. I am proud to say that the Labor States will not leave this issue alone. Victoria and Western Australia have agreed to develop a paper on aged care and its impact on commonwealth-state relations. The Labor States will ensure that it is on the agenda of the next COAG meeting. There is a little possibility that the next COAG meeting will be a bit more interesting, because Australia might have a new Prime Minister next time around. Government members: Hear, hear!
Government members: Hear, hear!
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