❓ The WA parliament discusses potential funding shortfalls for GP super clinics due to possible federal funding cuts. The state government commits to funding two clinics but questions the federal government's approach to health funding in WA.
AnsweredQoN 376Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GENERAL PRACTITIONER SUPER CLINICS — FEDERAL LIBERAL PARTY ELECTION COMMITMENT
Before I ask my question, I acknowledge the students from Tranby College in the gallery today. I refer to Tony Abbott’s statement that, if elected, a future Liberal federal government will cut funding to general practitioner super clinics. (1) If that happens, will the Barnett government provide for any necessary shortfall in funding to complete the construction of the three metropolitan GP super clinics in Cockburn, Midland and Wanneroo that are currently underway thanks to $17 million of federal Labor funding? (2) Will the Barnett government commit to funding the three additional health clinics announced for Northam, the Pilbara and Rockingham to ensure that Western Australians do not miss out on these valuable services? Dr K.D. HAMES
Before I ask my question, I acknowledge the students from Tranby College in the gallery today. I refer to Tony Abbott’s statement that, if elected, a future Liberal federal government will cut funding to general practitioner super clinics. (1) If that happens, will the Barnett government provide for any necessary shortfall in funding to complete the construction of the three metropolitan GP super clinics in Cockburn, Midland and Wanneroo that are currently underway thanks to $17 million of federal Labor funding? (2) Will the Barnett government commit to funding the three additional health clinics announced for Northam, the Pilbara and Rockingham to ensure that Western Australians do not miss out on these valuable services? Dr K.D. HAMES
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) Members opposite are obviously planning to run a federal election campaign in this Parliament; we would think that they would concentrate more on things that related to our state government responsibilities! It is quite clear that there are only three super clinics — Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : In fact, there are only two super clinics that this state government has agreed to be a part of—namely, the Midland clinic and the Wanneroo clinic. We have committed our funding and my understanding is that that funding will not be withdrawn for those two particular super clinics. I do not know about the Cockburn clinic, because that was done on a fly-by-nighter—come in, land, announce the clinic and disappear—with no involvement of the state government whatsoever. However, we are involved with the other two clinics and I have been working with the federal health minister trying to ensure that we have those up and running. Mr R.H. Cook : So you’d pay the full whack? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not think that the funding for those clinics will be removed by the commonwealth government. Mr R.H. Cook : And the three additional clinics? Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
I refer to Tony Abbott’s statement that, if elected, a future Liberal federal government will cut funding to general practitioner super clinics. (1) If that happens, will the Barnett government provide for any necessary shortfall in funding to complete the construction of the three metropolitan GP super clinics in Cockburn, Midland and Wanneroo that are currently underway thanks to $17 million of federal Labor funding? (2) Will the Barnett government commit to funding the three additional health clinics announced for Northam, the Pilbara and Rockingham to ensure that Western Australians do not miss out on these valuable services? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: (1)–(2) Members opposite are obviously planning to run a federal election campaign in this Parliament; we would think that they would concentrate more on things that related to our state government responsibilities! It is quite clear that there are only three super clinics — Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : In fact, there are only two super clinics that this state government has agreed to be a part of—namely, the Midland clinic and the Wanneroo clinic. We have committed our funding and my understanding is that that funding will not be withdrawn for those two particular super clinics. I do not know about the Cockburn clinic, because that was done on a fly-by-nighter—come in, land, announce the clinic and disappear—with no involvement of the state government whatsoever. However, we are involved with the other two clinics and I have been working with the federal health minister trying to ensure that we have those up and running. Mr R.H. Cook : So you’d pay the full whack? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not think that the funding for those clinics will be removed by the commonwealth government. Mr R.H. Cook : And the three additional clinics? Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
(1) If that happens, will the Barnett government provide for any necessary shortfall in funding to complete the construction of the three metropolitan GP super clinics in Cockburn, Midland and Wanneroo that are currently underway thanks to $17 million of federal Labor funding? (2) Will the Barnett government commit to funding the three additional health clinics announced for Northam, the Pilbara and Rockingham to ensure that Western Australians do not miss out on these valuable services? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: (1)–(2) Members opposite are obviously planning to run a federal election campaign in this Parliament; we would think that they would concentrate more on things that related to our state government responsibilities! It is quite clear that there are only three super clinics — Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : In fact, there are only two super clinics that this state government has agreed to be a part of—namely, the Midland clinic and the Wanneroo clinic. We have committed our funding and my understanding is that that funding will not be withdrawn for those two particular super clinics. I do not know about the Cockburn clinic, because that was done on a fly-by-nighter—come in, land, announce the clinic and disappear—with no involvement of the state government whatsoever. However, we are involved with the other two clinics and I have been working with the federal health minister trying to ensure that we have those up and running. Mr R.H. Cook : So you’d pay the full whack? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not think that the funding for those clinics will be removed by the commonwealth government. Mr R.H. Cook : And the three additional clinics? Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
(2) Will the Barnett government commit to funding the three additional health clinics announced for Northam, the Pilbara and Rockingham to ensure that Western Australians do not miss out on these valuable services? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: (1)–(2) Members opposite are obviously planning to run a federal election campaign in this Parliament; we would think that they would concentrate more on things that related to our state government responsibilities! It is quite clear that there are only three super clinics — Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : In fact, there are only two super clinics that this state government has agreed to be a part of—namely, the Midland clinic and the Wanneroo clinic. We have committed our funding and my understanding is that that funding will not be withdrawn for those two particular super clinics. I do not know about the Cockburn clinic, because that was done on a fly-by-nighter—come in, land, announce the clinic and disappear—with no involvement of the state government whatsoever. However, we are involved with the other two clinics and I have been working with the federal health minister trying to ensure that we have those up and running. Mr R.H. Cook : So you’d pay the full whack? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not think that the funding for those clinics will be removed by the commonwealth government. Mr R.H. Cook : And the three additional clinics? Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: (1)–(2) Members opposite are obviously planning to run a federal election campaign in this Parliament; we would think that they would concentrate more on things that related to our state government responsibilities! It is quite clear that there are only three super clinics — Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : In fact, there are only two super clinics that this state government has agreed to be a part of—namely, the Midland clinic and the Wanneroo clinic. We have committed our funding and my understanding is that that funding will not be withdrawn for those two particular super clinics. I do not know about the Cockburn clinic, because that was done on a fly-by-nighter—come in, land, announce the clinic and disappear—with no involvement of the state government whatsoever. However, we are involved with the other two clinics and I have been working with the federal health minister trying to ensure that we have those up and running. Mr R.H. Cook : So you’d pay the full whack? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not think that the funding for those clinics will be removed by the commonwealth government. Mr R.H. Cook : And the three additional clinics? Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
(1)–(2) Members opposite are obviously planning to run a federal election campaign in this Parliament; we would think that they would concentrate more on things that related to our state government responsibilities! It is quite clear that there are only three super clinics — Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : In fact, there are only two super clinics that this state government has agreed to be a part of—namely, the Midland clinic and the Wanneroo clinic. We have committed our funding and my understanding is that that funding will not be withdrawn for those two particular super clinics. I do not know about the Cockburn clinic, because that was done on a fly-by-nighter—come in, land, announce the clinic and disappear—with no involvement of the state government whatsoever. However, we are involved with the other two clinics and I have been working with the federal health minister trying to ensure that we have those up and running. Mr R.H. Cook : So you’d pay the full whack? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not think that the funding for those clinics will be removed by the commonwealth government. Mr R.H. Cook : And the three additional clinics? Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : In fact, there are only two super clinics that this state government has agreed to be a part of—namely, the Midland clinic and the Wanneroo clinic. We have committed our funding and my understanding is that that funding will not be withdrawn for those two particular super clinics. I do not know about the Cockburn clinic, because that was done on a fly-by-nighter—come in, land, announce the clinic and disappear—with no involvement of the state government whatsoever. However, we are involved with the other two clinics and I have been working with the federal health minister trying to ensure that we have those up and running. Mr R.H. Cook : So you’d pay the full whack? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not think that the funding for those clinics will be removed by the commonwealth government. Mr R.H. Cook : And the three additional clinics? Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
Dr K.D. HAMES : In fact, there are only two super clinics that this state government has agreed to be a part of—namely, the Midland clinic and the Wanneroo clinic. We have committed our funding and my understanding is that that funding will not be withdrawn for those two particular super clinics. I do not know about the Cockburn clinic, because that was done on a fly-by-nighter—come in, land, announce the clinic and disappear—with no involvement of the state government whatsoever. However, we are involved with the other two clinics and I have been working with the federal health minister trying to ensure that we have those up and running. Mr R.H. Cook : So you’d pay the full whack? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not think that the funding for those clinics will be removed by the commonwealth government. Mr R.H. Cook : And the three additional clinics? Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
Mr R.H. Cook : So you’d pay the full whack? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not think that the funding for those clinics will be removed by the commonwealth government. Mr R.H. Cook : And the three additional clinics? Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not think that the funding for those clinics will be removed by the commonwealth government. Mr R.H. Cook : And the three additional clinics? Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
Mr R.H. Cook : And the three additional clinics? Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
I refer to Tony Abbott’s statement that, if elected, a future Liberal federal government will cut funding to general practitioner super clinics. (1) If that happens, will the Barnett government provide for any necessary shortfall in funding to complete the construction of the three metropolitan GP super clinics in Cockburn, Midland and Wanneroo that are currently underway thanks to $17 million of federal Labor funding? (2) Will the Barnett government commit to funding the three additional health clinics announced for Northam, the Pilbara and Rockingham to ensure that Western Australians do not miss out on these valuable services? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: (1)–(2) Members opposite are obviously planning to run a federal election campaign in this Parliament; we would think that they would concentrate more on things that related to our state government responsibilities! It is quite clear that there are only three super clinics — Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : In fact, there are only two super clinics that this state government has agreed to be a part of—namely, the Midland clinic and the Wanneroo clinic. We have committed our funding and my understanding is that that funding will not be withdrawn for those two particular super clinics. I do not know about the Cockburn clinic, because that was done on a fly-by-nighter—come in, land, announce the clinic and disappear—with no involvement of the state government whatsoever. However, we are involved with the other two clinics and I have been working with the federal health minister trying to ensure that we have those up and running. Mr R.H. Cook : So you’d pay the full whack? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not think that the funding for those clinics will be removed by the commonwealth government. Mr R.H. Cook : And the three additional clinics? Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
(1) If that happens, will the Barnett government provide for any necessary shortfall in funding to complete the construction of the three metropolitan GP super clinics in Cockburn, Midland and Wanneroo that are currently underway thanks to $17 million of federal Labor funding? (2) Will the Barnett government commit to funding the three additional health clinics announced for Northam, the Pilbara and Rockingham to ensure that Western Australians do not miss out on these valuable services? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: (1)–(2) Members opposite are obviously planning to run a federal election campaign in this Parliament; we would think that they would concentrate more on things that related to our state government responsibilities! It is quite clear that there are only three super clinics — Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : In fact, there are only two super clinics that this state government has agreed to be a part of—namely, the Midland clinic and the Wanneroo clinic. We have committed our funding and my understanding is that that funding will not be withdrawn for those two particular super clinics. I do not know about the Cockburn clinic, because that was done on a fly-by-nighter—come in, land, announce the clinic and disappear—with no involvement of the state government whatsoever. However, we are involved with the other two clinics and I have been working with the federal health minister trying to ensure that we have those up and running. Mr R.H. Cook : So you’d pay the full whack? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not think that the funding for those clinics will be removed by the commonwealth government. Mr R.H. Cook : And the three additional clinics? Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
(2) Will the Barnett government commit to funding the three additional health clinics announced for Northam, the Pilbara and Rockingham to ensure that Western Australians do not miss out on these valuable services? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: (1)–(2) Members opposite are obviously planning to run a federal election campaign in this Parliament; we would think that they would concentrate more on things that related to our state government responsibilities! It is quite clear that there are only three super clinics — Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : In fact, there are only two super clinics that this state government has agreed to be a part of—namely, the Midland clinic and the Wanneroo clinic. We have committed our funding and my understanding is that that funding will not be withdrawn for those two particular super clinics. I do not know about the Cockburn clinic, because that was done on a fly-by-nighter—come in, land, announce the clinic and disappear—with no involvement of the state government whatsoever. However, we are involved with the other two clinics and I have been working with the federal health minister trying to ensure that we have those up and running. Mr R.H. Cook : So you’d pay the full whack? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not think that the funding for those clinics will be removed by the commonwealth government. Mr R.H. Cook : And the three additional clinics? Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: (1)–(2) Members opposite are obviously planning to run a federal election campaign in this Parliament; we would think that they would concentrate more on things that related to our state government responsibilities! It is quite clear that there are only three super clinics — Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : In fact, there are only two super clinics that this state government has agreed to be a part of—namely, the Midland clinic and the Wanneroo clinic. We have committed our funding and my understanding is that that funding will not be withdrawn for those two particular super clinics. I do not know about the Cockburn clinic, because that was done on a fly-by-nighter—come in, land, announce the clinic and disappear—with no involvement of the state government whatsoever. However, we are involved with the other two clinics and I have been working with the federal health minister trying to ensure that we have those up and running. Mr R.H. Cook : So you’d pay the full whack? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not think that the funding for those clinics will be removed by the commonwealth government. Mr R.H. Cook : And the three additional clinics? Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
(1)–(2) Members opposite are obviously planning to run a federal election campaign in this Parliament; we would think that they would concentrate more on things that related to our state government responsibilities! It is quite clear that there are only three super clinics — Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : In fact, there are only two super clinics that this state government has agreed to be a part of—namely, the Midland clinic and the Wanneroo clinic. We have committed our funding and my understanding is that that funding will not be withdrawn for those two particular super clinics. I do not know about the Cockburn clinic, because that was done on a fly-by-nighter—come in, land, announce the clinic and disappear—with no involvement of the state government whatsoever. However, we are involved with the other two clinics and I have been working with the federal health minister trying to ensure that we have those up and running. Mr R.H. Cook : So you’d pay the full whack? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not think that the funding for those clinics will be removed by the commonwealth government. Mr R.H. Cook : And the three additional clinics? Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
Several members interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES : In fact, there are only two super clinics that this state government has agreed to be a part of—namely, the Midland clinic and the Wanneroo clinic. We have committed our funding and my understanding is that that funding will not be withdrawn for those two particular super clinics. I do not know about the Cockburn clinic, because that was done on a fly-by-nighter—come in, land, announce the clinic and disappear—with no involvement of the state government whatsoever. However, we are involved with the other two clinics and I have been working with the federal health minister trying to ensure that we have those up and running. Mr R.H. Cook : So you’d pay the full whack? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not think that the funding for those clinics will be removed by the commonwealth government. Mr R.H. Cook : And the three additional clinics? Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
Dr K.D. HAMES : In fact, there are only two super clinics that this state government has agreed to be a part of—namely, the Midland clinic and the Wanneroo clinic. We have committed our funding and my understanding is that that funding will not be withdrawn for those two particular super clinics. I do not know about the Cockburn clinic, because that was done on a fly-by-nighter—come in, land, announce the clinic and disappear—with no involvement of the state government whatsoever. However, we are involved with the other two clinics and I have been working with the federal health minister trying to ensure that we have those up and running. Mr R.H. Cook : So you’d pay the full whack? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not think that the funding for those clinics will be removed by the commonwealth government. Mr R.H. Cook : And the three additional clinics? Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
Mr R.H. Cook : So you’d pay the full whack? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not think that the funding for those clinics will be removed by the commonwealth government. Mr R.H. Cook : And the three additional clinics? Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not think that the funding for those clinics will be removed by the commonwealth government. Mr R.H. Cook : And the three additional clinics? Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
Mr R.H. Cook : And the three additional clinics? Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
Dr K.D. HAMES : The new ones that have been announced, again, by the fly-in ministers of the commonwealth government who flash over here for a few hours — Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
Mr R.H. Cook : And invest in WA! Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
Dr K.D. HAMES : It is a pity that they did not invest a bit more. They come over here and give us a little chunk of our money back; we would like a decent share of it back, not the piddling little amount that they are offering us! The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
The alternative proposal that has been put forward by the federal Leader of the Opposition is in fact a very good one that reinstates the funding for after-hours general practitioner work by GPs. This current government has been reducing the funding of doctors who work after hours—reducing the funds. Would members opposite, who are driven by the unions, accept any of their workers working after hours and not getting additional pay for it? I bet that members opposite would not, yet that is what their colleagues in the commonwealth have been doing; they have been reducing funds for doctors who are working after hours. A Liberal government will put those funds back and will put funds into existing GP clinics to expand. I went to Wanneroo last week and talked to the GP clinics there. There is no reason that funding, instead of being in competition with the local GPs, could not be supportive of the local GPs. My reading of the health commitment by the Liberal Party is that the money will still be there, it will still be coming to Western Australia, and it will be going to general practitioner clinics to help GP clinics do what they do.
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