❓ Opposition questions the government's commitment to redeveloping Royal Perth Hospital, citing broken election promises and budget delays. The Minister defends the government's actions, highlighting their commitment to retaining the hospital as a tertiary facility and outlining planned upgrades.
AnsweredQoN 263Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ROYAL
PERTH HOSPITAL — REDEVELOPMENT
263. Mr R.H. COOK to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the Liberal–National government's
broken election promise to save and redevelop the Royal Perth Hospital and to
the recent budget, which shows funds will not be allocated for its
redevelopment until 2014–15, six years after the last election. Given
this enormous delay and the Premier's comments yesterday that forward
estimates do not matter, what faith can the Western Australian public hold that
this government will actually follow through with its election commitment?
PERTH HOSPITAL — REDEVELOPMENT
263. Mr R.H. COOK to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the Liberal–National government's
broken election promise to save and redevelop the Royal Perth Hospital and to
the recent budget, which shows funds will not be allocated for its
redevelopment until 2014–15, six years after the last election. Given
this enormous delay and the Premier's comments yesterday that forward
estimates do not matter, what faith can the Western Australian public hold that
this government will actually follow through with its election commitment?
AnswerView source ↗
I have said in this Parliament on many occasions that the
commitment the government made comprised two things. The first was to retain
Royal Perth Hospital as a tertiary hospital—something quite clearly we
have done. It was interesting to hear some comments on radio the other day in
which people said the former Labor government was not really going to shut it
down. They were going to shut it down! I have a whole series of documents —
Mr R.H. Cook : And
you said that you would redevelop it.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
am getting to that. I am talking about what the opposition said when it was in
government in the lead-up to the last election. Members opposite said that
Royal Perth Hospital would be closed as a tertiary hospital. As the debate
moved on and we got closer and closer to the election, the words of the former
Minister for Health changed. First, it was going to be a GP clinic; then he was
going to expand that; and right before the election, it was to be a GP clinic
with no emergency department and no tertiary hospital but it would have a
surgical waitlist service in the north block and demolish the rest of the
hospital. They are the words of the former Minister for Health in the lead-up
to the last election. We committed to saving Royal Perth Hospital as a tertiary
hospital, which quite clearly we have done.
If members look at the clinical services framework, it quite
clearly outlines the duties and responsibilities of that hospital. Indeed, just
last week I talked about the major trauma unit being retained at Royal Perth
Hospital into the future. We made that very clear.
The other thing we made very clear is that we would put $20 million
in the budget towards developing plans,
and in our second term of government we would address what we would do with
that hospital. I made it quite clear that my preference was for a new west
wing; nevertheless, whatever the outcome, that would be in our second term of
government. We also said that we would bring to this house legislation that
stopped a future Labor Party from closing Royal Perth Hospital as a tertiary
hospital without bringing legislation before this house. That legislation is
still before this house. The commitment was to bring it here.
Mr J.N. Hyde :
Bring it on!
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
intend to bring it on. It has been delayed because a whole bunch of opposition
members have moved a lot of nonsensical amendments that deal with every other
hospital in this state. If the opposition gets rid of all those irrelevant
amendments, I will bring it back before the house in no time. There is the
deal: if the opposition gets rid of its amendments, I will bring the bill
before this house. Are opposition members interested in doing a deal? The
opposition's whole purpose in moving those amendments is to stymie
legislation before this house.
The government is committed to the
retention of the Royal Perth Hospital. The $180 million, as a rough figure,
which has been announced, will allow for a major redevelopment of the existing
building. We have looked at the option. I have stated publicly in the house
that my preferred option, which is a major rebuild of the west wing, is off the
table. It is a significantly expensive option in the order of $550 million to
$650 million, when the government has lots of other infrastructure costs in
this state that have higher priority. The reality is that the block which is on
the church side of Wellington Street is sound in its structure. The $180 million
will allow for a complete clean-out of each ward and a major refit to a modern
standard, and will provide a very high quality service at that hospital. While
it does not meet the planned objective that I announced previously, it is still
a major funding commitment to one of our major tertiary hospitals in this
state. I reiterate that members on this side of the house are absolutely
committed to the retention of Royal Perth as a tertiary hospital. We would love
to hear what the opposition's plans are for it now. Does the opposition
still intend to do what the previous minister wanted to do, which is to bowl it
all over?
commitment the government made comprised two things. The first was to retain
Royal Perth Hospital as a tertiary hospital—something quite clearly we
have done. It was interesting to hear some comments on radio the other day in
which people said the former Labor government was not really going to shut it
down. They were going to shut it down! I have a whole series of documents —
Mr R.H. Cook : And
you said that you would redevelop it.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
am getting to that. I am talking about what the opposition said when it was in
government in the lead-up to the last election. Members opposite said that
Royal Perth Hospital would be closed as a tertiary hospital. As the debate
moved on and we got closer and closer to the election, the words of the former
Minister for Health changed. First, it was going to be a GP clinic; then he was
going to expand that; and right before the election, it was to be a GP clinic
with no emergency department and no tertiary hospital but it would have a
surgical waitlist service in the north block and demolish the rest of the
hospital. They are the words of the former Minister for Health in the lead-up
to the last election. We committed to saving Royal Perth Hospital as a tertiary
hospital, which quite clearly we have done.
If members look at the clinical services framework, it quite
clearly outlines the duties and responsibilities of that hospital. Indeed, just
last week I talked about the major trauma unit being retained at Royal Perth
Hospital into the future. We made that very clear.
The other thing we made very clear is that we would put $20 million
in the budget towards developing plans,
and in our second term of government we would address what we would do with
that hospital. I made it quite clear that my preference was for a new west
wing; nevertheless, whatever the outcome, that would be in our second term of
government. We also said that we would bring to this house legislation that
stopped a future Labor Party from closing Royal Perth Hospital as a tertiary
hospital without bringing legislation before this house. That legislation is
still before this house. The commitment was to bring it here.
Mr J.N. Hyde :
Bring it on!
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
intend to bring it on. It has been delayed because a whole bunch of opposition
members have moved a lot of nonsensical amendments that deal with every other
hospital in this state. If the opposition gets rid of all those irrelevant
amendments, I will bring it back before the house in no time. There is the
deal: if the opposition gets rid of its amendments, I will bring the bill
before this house. Are opposition members interested in doing a deal? The
opposition's whole purpose in moving those amendments is to stymie
legislation before this house.
The government is committed to the
retention of the Royal Perth Hospital. The $180 million, as a rough figure,
which has been announced, will allow for a major redevelopment of the existing
building. We have looked at the option. I have stated publicly in the house
that my preferred option, which is a major rebuild of the west wing, is off the
table. It is a significantly expensive option in the order of $550 million to
$650 million, when the government has lots of other infrastructure costs in
this state that have higher priority. The reality is that the block which is on
the church side of Wellington Street is sound in its structure. The $180 million
will allow for a complete clean-out of each ward and a major refit to a modern
standard, and will provide a very high quality service at that hospital. While
it does not meet the planned objective that I announced previously, it is still
a major funding commitment to one of our major tertiary hospitals in this
state. I reiterate that members on this side of the house are absolutely
committed to the retention of Royal Perth as a tertiary hospital. We would love
to hear what the opposition's plans are for it now. Does the opposition
still intend to do what the previous minister wanted to do, which is to bowl it
all over?
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