❓ Dr. Woollard questions the Minister for Health about allocating newly announced funds to address increased waitlists for community healthcare for children. The Minister clarifies the funds are specifically for waitlist surgery, not community healthcare, and future staffing increases will be addressed through the budget process.
AnsweredQoN 38Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CHILD COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE WAITLIST
I have a supplementary question. The minister said that no new staff have come on board and the number of existing staff has decreased. He also said that the waiting lists have increased. Dr K.D. Hames : Waiting times have increased. Dr J.M. WOOLLARD : On Tuesday the Premier announced that an additional $30 million would be allocated to decrease waiting lists over the next two years. Will that $30 million be used to reduce the waiting lists for community health care for children that he just said have increased? The SPEAKER : Member, I would not necessarily always accept that as a supplementary question. I think you have introduced some new information. If the minister is prepared to answer, he may. Dr K.D. HAMES
I have a supplementary question. The minister said that no new staff have come on board and the number of existing staff has decreased. He also said that the waiting lists have increased. Dr K.D. Hames : Waiting times have increased. Dr J.M. WOOLLARD : On Tuesday the Premier announced that an additional $30 million would be allocated to decrease waiting lists over the next two years. Will that $30 million be used to reduce the waiting lists for community health care for children that he just said have increased? The SPEAKER : Member, I would not necessarily always accept that as a supplementary question. I think you have introduced some new information. If the minister is prepared to answer, he may. Dr K.D. HAMES
AnswerView source ↗
I think the member is getting confused about the amounts and what they are for. The money that the Premier referred to is for waitlist surgery, not for waiting times for clinics to see patients, particularly for childcare services. They are separate amounts of money. That money is not available. If we want to increase the staffing for these areas of critical need, we will have to do that through the budget process at whatever stage in the future we are able to. Tabling of Paper Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN : The Minister for Health was quoting from a document. If that was an official document, could that be tabled? The SPEAKER : Minister, is it an official document? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not know whether giving time periods for waiting times qualifies as quoting from an official document. I am happy to talk to the senior staff member and show him the document. If he thinks it is appropriate that I table it, I will. The SPEAKER : I will instruct you to do that then, minister.
Dr K.D. Hames : Waiting times have increased. Dr J.M. WOOLLARD : On Tuesday the Premier announced that an additional $30 million would be allocated to decrease waiting lists over the next two years. Will that $30 million be used to reduce the waiting lists for community health care for children that he just said have increased? The SPEAKER : Member, I would not necessarily always accept that as a supplementary question. I think you have introduced some new information. If the minister is prepared to answer, he may. Dr K.D. HAMES replied: I think the member is getting confused about the amounts and what they are for. The money that the Premier referred to is for waitlist surgery, not for waiting times for clinics to see patients, particularly for childcare services. They are separate amounts of money. That money is not available. If we want to increase the staffing for these areas of critical need, we will have to do that through the budget process at whatever stage in the future we are able to. Tabling of Paper Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN : The Minister for Health was quoting from a document. If that was an official document, could that be tabled? The SPEAKER : Minister, is it an official document? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not know whether giving time periods for waiting times qualifies as quoting from an official document. I am happy to talk to the senior staff member and show him the document. If he thinks it is appropriate that I table it, I will. The SPEAKER : I will instruct you to do that then, minister.
Dr J.M. WOOLLARD : On Tuesday the Premier announced that an additional $30 million would be allocated to decrease waiting lists over the next two years. Will that $30 million be used to reduce the waiting lists for community health care for children that he just said have increased? The SPEAKER : Member, I would not necessarily always accept that as a supplementary question. I think you have introduced some new information. If the minister is prepared to answer, he may. Dr K.D. HAMES replied: I think the member is getting confused about the amounts and what they are for. The money that the Premier referred to is for waitlist surgery, not for waiting times for clinics to see patients, particularly for childcare services. They are separate amounts of money. That money is not available. If we want to increase the staffing for these areas of critical need, we will have to do that through the budget process at whatever stage in the future we are able to. Tabling of Paper Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN : The Minister for Health was quoting from a document. If that was an official document, could that be tabled? The SPEAKER : Minister, is it an official document? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not know whether giving time periods for waiting times qualifies as quoting from an official document. I am happy to talk to the senior staff member and show him the document. If he thinks it is appropriate that I table it, I will. The SPEAKER : I will instruct you to do that then, minister.
The SPEAKER : Member, I would not necessarily always accept that as a supplementary question. I think you have introduced some new information. If the minister is prepared to answer, he may. Dr K.D. HAMES replied: I think the member is getting confused about the amounts and what they are for. The money that the Premier referred to is for waitlist surgery, not for waiting times for clinics to see patients, particularly for childcare services. They are separate amounts of money. That money is not available. If we want to increase the staffing for these areas of critical need, we will have to do that through the budget process at whatever stage in the future we are able to. Tabling of Paper Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN : The Minister for Health was quoting from a document. If that was an official document, could that be tabled? The SPEAKER : Minister, is it an official document? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not know whether giving time periods for waiting times qualifies as quoting from an official document. I am happy to talk to the senior staff member and show him the document. If he thinks it is appropriate that I table it, I will. The SPEAKER : I will instruct you to do that then, minister.
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: I think the member is getting confused about the amounts and what they are for. The money that the Premier referred to is for waitlist surgery, not for waiting times for clinics to see patients, particularly for childcare services. They are separate amounts of money. That money is not available. If we want to increase the staffing for these areas of critical need, we will have to do that through the budget process at whatever stage in the future we are able to. Tabling of Paper Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN : The Minister for Health was quoting from a document. If that was an official document, could that be tabled? The SPEAKER : Minister, is it an official document? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not know whether giving time periods for waiting times qualifies as quoting from an official document. I am happy to talk to the senior staff member and show him the document. If he thinks it is appropriate that I table it, I will. The SPEAKER : I will instruct you to do that then, minister.
I think the member is getting confused about the amounts and what they are for. The money that the Premier referred to is for waitlist surgery, not for waiting times for clinics to see patients, particularly for childcare services. They are separate amounts of money. That money is not available. If we want to increase the staffing for these areas of critical need, we will have to do that through the budget process at whatever stage in the future we are able to. Tabling of Paper Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN : The Minister for Health was quoting from a document. If that was an official document, could that be tabled? The SPEAKER : Minister, is it an official document? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not know whether giving time periods for waiting times qualifies as quoting from an official document. I am happy to talk to the senior staff member and show him the document. If he thinks it is appropriate that I table it, I will. The SPEAKER : I will instruct you to do that then, minister.
The SPEAKER : Minister, is it an official document? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not know whether giving time periods for waiting times qualifies as quoting from an official document. I am happy to talk to the senior staff member and show him the document. If he thinks it is appropriate that I table it, I will. The SPEAKER : I will instruct you to do that then, minister.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not know whether giving time periods for waiting times qualifies as quoting from an official document. I am happy to talk to the senior staff member and show him the document. If he thinks it is appropriate that I table it, I will. The SPEAKER : I will instruct you to do that then, minister.
The SPEAKER : I will instruct you to do that then, minister.
Dr K.D. Hames : Waiting times have increased. Dr J.M. WOOLLARD : On Tuesday the Premier announced that an additional $30 million would be allocated to decrease waiting lists over the next two years. Will that $30 million be used to reduce the waiting lists for community health care for children that he just said have increased? The SPEAKER : Member, I would not necessarily always accept that as a supplementary question. I think you have introduced some new information. If the minister is prepared to answer, he may. Dr K.D. HAMES replied: I think the member is getting confused about the amounts and what they are for. The money that the Premier referred to is for waitlist surgery, not for waiting times for clinics to see patients, particularly for childcare services. They are separate amounts of money. That money is not available. If we want to increase the staffing for these areas of critical need, we will have to do that through the budget process at whatever stage in the future we are able to. Tabling of Paper Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN : The Minister for Health was quoting from a document. If that was an official document, could that be tabled? The SPEAKER : Minister, is it an official document? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not know whether giving time periods for waiting times qualifies as quoting from an official document. I am happy to talk to the senior staff member and show him the document. If he thinks it is appropriate that I table it, I will. The SPEAKER : I will instruct you to do that then, minister.
Dr J.M. WOOLLARD : On Tuesday the Premier announced that an additional $30 million would be allocated to decrease waiting lists over the next two years. Will that $30 million be used to reduce the waiting lists for community health care for children that he just said have increased? The SPEAKER : Member, I would not necessarily always accept that as a supplementary question. I think you have introduced some new information. If the minister is prepared to answer, he may. Dr K.D. HAMES replied: I think the member is getting confused about the amounts and what they are for. The money that the Premier referred to is for waitlist surgery, not for waiting times for clinics to see patients, particularly for childcare services. They are separate amounts of money. That money is not available. If we want to increase the staffing for these areas of critical need, we will have to do that through the budget process at whatever stage in the future we are able to. Tabling of Paper Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN : The Minister for Health was quoting from a document. If that was an official document, could that be tabled? The SPEAKER : Minister, is it an official document? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not know whether giving time periods for waiting times qualifies as quoting from an official document. I am happy to talk to the senior staff member and show him the document. If he thinks it is appropriate that I table it, I will. The SPEAKER : I will instruct you to do that then, minister.
The SPEAKER : Member, I would not necessarily always accept that as a supplementary question. I think you have introduced some new information. If the minister is prepared to answer, he may. Dr K.D. HAMES replied: I think the member is getting confused about the amounts and what they are for. The money that the Premier referred to is for waitlist surgery, not for waiting times for clinics to see patients, particularly for childcare services. They are separate amounts of money. That money is not available. If we want to increase the staffing for these areas of critical need, we will have to do that through the budget process at whatever stage in the future we are able to. Tabling of Paper Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN : The Minister for Health was quoting from a document. If that was an official document, could that be tabled? The SPEAKER : Minister, is it an official document? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not know whether giving time periods for waiting times qualifies as quoting from an official document. I am happy to talk to the senior staff member and show him the document. If he thinks it is appropriate that I table it, I will. The SPEAKER : I will instruct you to do that then, minister.
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: I think the member is getting confused about the amounts and what they are for. The money that the Premier referred to is for waitlist surgery, not for waiting times for clinics to see patients, particularly for childcare services. They are separate amounts of money. That money is not available. If we want to increase the staffing for these areas of critical need, we will have to do that through the budget process at whatever stage in the future we are able to. Tabling of Paper Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN : The Minister for Health was quoting from a document. If that was an official document, could that be tabled? The SPEAKER : Minister, is it an official document? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not know whether giving time periods for waiting times qualifies as quoting from an official document. I am happy to talk to the senior staff member and show him the document. If he thinks it is appropriate that I table it, I will. The SPEAKER : I will instruct you to do that then, minister.
I think the member is getting confused about the amounts and what they are for. The money that the Premier referred to is for waitlist surgery, not for waiting times for clinics to see patients, particularly for childcare services. They are separate amounts of money. That money is not available. If we want to increase the staffing for these areas of critical need, we will have to do that through the budget process at whatever stage in the future we are able to. Tabling of Paper Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN : The Minister for Health was quoting from a document. If that was an official document, could that be tabled? The SPEAKER : Minister, is it an official document? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not know whether giving time periods for waiting times qualifies as quoting from an official document. I am happy to talk to the senior staff member and show him the document. If he thinks it is appropriate that I table it, I will. The SPEAKER : I will instruct you to do that then, minister.
The SPEAKER : Minister, is it an official document? Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not know whether giving time periods for waiting times qualifies as quoting from an official document. I am happy to talk to the senior staff member and show him the document. If he thinks it is appropriate that I table it, I will. The SPEAKER : I will instruct you to do that then, minister.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I do not know whether giving time periods for waiting times qualifies as quoting from an official document. I am happy to talk to the senior staff member and show him the document. If he thinks it is appropriate that I table it, I will. The SPEAKER : I will instruct you to do that then, minister.
The SPEAKER : I will instruct you to do that then, minister.
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