❓ Opposition questions the Minister for Health on broken election promises regarding regional hospitals. Minister defends decisions based on safety and budget constraints, promising future announcements.
AnsweredQoN 1300Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer the minister to the Australian Labor Party’s election policy for better regional health, which states that Labor will give priority to rebuilding Western Australia’s hospitals across the State. (1) How does the minister reconcile this statement with his decision to downgrade the Yarloop and Dumbleyung hospitals and to abandon the new Moora hospital and his failure to deliver on promised hospital redevelopments at Port Hedland, Derby, Margaret River, Halls Creek and Kununurra? (2) Why should country residents of Western Australia pay in decreased services for cost overruns, the inefficiency of tertiary hospitals and the minister’s inability to manage the Western Australian health system? Mr J.A. McGINTY
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(2) In respect of my as-yet failure to deliver on the list of hospitals that the member has mentioned, I simply say to him, watch this space. Mr M.F. Board: We have been watching this space for a long time and it is a big hole in the ground. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The two members sitting immediately behind the member for Murdoch - that is, the members for Greenough and Darling Range - are quite happy with the responses I have given in the past 24 hours about their hospitals. The member for Murdoch should ask the member for Geraldton about the $49 million we are investing in that hospital. Announcements will be made about all the other hospitals in the very near future and the member will see those matters come to fruition. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: What sort of irresponsible minister would allow Yarloop hospital to have 15 patients, when sitting on his desk is a report that indicates that if a fire took place in the old timber building, there would be an inferno that would engulf the hospital within five minutes and that the staff have the capacity to remove only five or six patients in that time? No minister could do that. I am aware of the very serious issues confronting the Yarloop community and the commitments that were given to that community about not only the hospital but also services in general. I hope we will be able to work with the people of that area to find the best way to ensure that services continue. However, I will not ignore a report that says that an inferno would kill patients. Mr M.F. Board: That is not the point of the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
(1) How does the minister reconcile this statement with his decision to downgrade the Yarloop and Dumbleyung hospitals and to abandon the new Moora hospital and his failure to deliver on promised hospital redevelopments at Port Hedland, Derby, Margaret River, Halls Creek and Kununurra? (2) Why should country residents of Western Australia pay in decreased services for cost overruns, the inefficiency of tertiary hospitals and the minister’s inability to manage the Western Australian health system? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) In respect of my as-yet failure to deliver on the list of hospitals that the member has mentioned, I simply say to him, watch this space. Mr M.F. Board: We have been watching this space for a long time and it is a big hole in the ground. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The two members sitting immediately behind the member for Murdoch - that is, the members for Greenough and Darling Range - are quite happy with the responses I have given in the past 24 hours about their hospitals. The member for Murdoch should ask the member for Geraldton about the $49 million we are investing in that hospital. Announcements will be made about all the other hospitals in the very near future and the member will see those matters come to fruition. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: What sort of irresponsible minister would allow Yarloop hospital to have 15 patients, when sitting on his desk is a report that indicates that if a fire took place in the old timber building, there would be an inferno that would engulf the hospital within five minutes and that the staff have the capacity to remove only five or six patients in that time? No minister could do that. I am aware of the very serious issues confronting the Yarloop community and the commitments that were given to that community about not only the hospital but also services in general. I hope we will be able to work with the people of that area to find the best way to ensure that services continue. However, I will not ignore a report that says that an inferno would kill patients. Mr M.F. Board: That is not the point of the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
(2) Why should country residents of Western Australia pay in decreased services for cost overruns, the inefficiency of tertiary hospitals and the minister’s inability to manage the Western Australian health system? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) In respect of my as-yet failure to deliver on the list of hospitals that the member has mentioned, I simply say to him, watch this space. Mr M.F. Board: We have been watching this space for a long time and it is a big hole in the ground. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The two members sitting immediately behind the member for Murdoch - that is, the members for Greenough and Darling Range - are quite happy with the responses I have given in the past 24 hours about their hospitals. The member for Murdoch should ask the member for Geraldton about the $49 million we are investing in that hospital. Announcements will be made about all the other hospitals in the very near future and the member will see those matters come to fruition. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: What sort of irresponsible minister would allow Yarloop hospital to have 15 patients, when sitting on his desk is a report that indicates that if a fire took place in the old timber building, there would be an inferno that would engulf the hospital within five minutes and that the staff have the capacity to remove only five or six patients in that time? No minister could do that. I am aware of the very serious issues confronting the Yarloop community and the commitments that were given to that community about not only the hospital but also services in general. I hope we will be able to work with the people of that area to find the best way to ensure that services continue. However, I will not ignore a report that says that an inferno would kill patients. Mr M.F. Board: That is not the point of the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) In respect of my as-yet failure to deliver on the list of hospitals that the member has mentioned, I simply say to him, watch this space. Mr M.F. Board: We have been watching this space for a long time and it is a big hole in the ground. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The two members sitting immediately behind the member for Murdoch - that is, the members for Greenough and Darling Range - are quite happy with the responses I have given in the past 24 hours about their hospitals. The member for Murdoch should ask the member for Geraldton about the $49 million we are investing in that hospital. Announcements will be made about all the other hospitals in the very near future and the member will see those matters come to fruition. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: What sort of irresponsible minister would allow Yarloop hospital to have 15 patients, when sitting on his desk is a report that indicates that if a fire took place in the old timber building, there would be an inferno that would engulf the hospital within five minutes and that the staff have the capacity to remove only five or six patients in that time? No minister could do that. I am aware of the very serious issues confronting the Yarloop community and the commitments that were given to that community about not only the hospital but also services in general. I hope we will be able to work with the people of that area to find the best way to ensure that services continue. However, I will not ignore a report that says that an inferno would kill patients. Mr M.F. Board: That is not the point of the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
(1)-(2) In respect of my as-yet failure to deliver on the list of hospitals that the member has mentioned, I simply say to him, watch this space. Mr M.F. Board: We have been watching this space for a long time and it is a big hole in the ground. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The two members sitting immediately behind the member for Murdoch - that is, the members for Greenough and Darling Range - are quite happy with the responses I have given in the past 24 hours about their hospitals. The member for Murdoch should ask the member for Geraldton about the $49 million we are investing in that hospital. Announcements will be made about all the other hospitals in the very near future and the member will see those matters come to fruition. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: What sort of irresponsible minister would allow Yarloop hospital to have 15 patients, when sitting on his desk is a report that indicates that if a fire took place in the old timber building, there would be an inferno that would engulf the hospital within five minutes and that the staff have the capacity to remove only five or six patients in that time? No minister could do that. I am aware of the very serious issues confronting the Yarloop community and the commitments that were given to that community about not only the hospital but also services in general. I hope we will be able to work with the people of that area to find the best way to ensure that services continue. However, I will not ignore a report that says that an inferno would kill patients. Mr M.F. Board: That is not the point of the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Mr M.F. Board: We have been watching this space for a long time and it is a big hole in the ground. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The two members sitting immediately behind the member for Murdoch - that is, the members for Greenough and Darling Range - are quite happy with the responses I have given in the past 24 hours about their hospitals. The member for Murdoch should ask the member for Geraldton about the $49 million we are investing in that hospital. Announcements will be made about all the other hospitals in the very near future and the member will see those matters come to fruition. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: What sort of irresponsible minister would allow Yarloop hospital to have 15 patients, when sitting on his desk is a report that indicates that if a fire took place in the old timber building, there would be an inferno that would engulf the hospital within five minutes and that the staff have the capacity to remove only five or six patients in that time? No minister could do that. I am aware of the very serious issues confronting the Yarloop community and the commitments that were given to that community about not only the hospital but also services in general. I hope we will be able to work with the people of that area to find the best way to ensure that services continue. However, I will not ignore a report that says that an inferno would kill patients. Mr M.F. Board: That is not the point of the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: The two members sitting immediately behind the member for Murdoch - that is, the members for Greenough and Darling Range - are quite happy with the responses I have given in the past 24 hours about their hospitals. The member for Murdoch should ask the member for Geraldton about the $49 million we are investing in that hospital. Announcements will be made about all the other hospitals in the very near future and the member will see those matters come to fruition. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: What sort of irresponsible minister would allow Yarloop hospital to have 15 patients, when sitting on his desk is a report that indicates that if a fire took place in the old timber building, there would be an inferno that would engulf the hospital within five minutes and that the staff have the capacity to remove only five or six patients in that time? No minister could do that. I am aware of the very serious issues confronting the Yarloop community and the commitments that were given to that community about not only the hospital but also services in general. I hope we will be able to work with the people of that area to find the best way to ensure that services continue. However, I will not ignore a report that says that an inferno would kill patients. Mr M.F. Board: That is not the point of the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: What sort of irresponsible minister would allow Yarloop hospital to have 15 patients, when sitting on his desk is a report that indicates that if a fire took place in the old timber building, there would be an inferno that would engulf the hospital within five minutes and that the staff have the capacity to remove only five or six patients in that time? No minister could do that. I am aware of the very serious issues confronting the Yarloop community and the commitments that were given to that community about not only the hospital but also services in general. I hope we will be able to work with the people of that area to find the best way to ensure that services continue. However, I will not ignore a report that says that an inferno would kill patients. Mr M.F. Board: That is not the point of the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
The SPEAKER: Members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: What sort of irresponsible minister would allow Yarloop hospital to have 15 patients, when sitting on his desk is a report that indicates that if a fire took place in the old timber building, there would be an inferno that would engulf the hospital within five minutes and that the staff have the capacity to remove only five or six patients in that time? No minister could do that. I am aware of the very serious issues confronting the Yarloop community and the commitments that were given to that community about not only the hospital but also services in general. I hope we will be able to work with the people of that area to find the best way to ensure that services continue. However, I will not ignore a report that says that an inferno would kill patients. Mr M.F. Board: That is not the point of the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: What sort of irresponsible minister would allow Yarloop hospital to have 15 patients, when sitting on his desk is a report that indicates that if a fire took place in the old timber building, there would be an inferno that would engulf the hospital within five minutes and that the staff have the capacity to remove only five or six patients in that time? No minister could do that. I am aware of the very serious issues confronting the Yarloop community and the commitments that were given to that community about not only the hospital but also services in general. I hope we will be able to work with the people of that area to find the best way to ensure that services continue. However, I will not ignore a report that says that an inferno would kill patients. Mr M.F. Board: That is not the point of the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Mr M.F. Board: That is not the point of the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
(1) How does the minister reconcile this statement with his decision to downgrade the Yarloop and Dumbleyung hospitals and to abandon the new Moora hospital and his failure to deliver on promised hospital redevelopments at Port Hedland, Derby, Margaret River, Halls Creek and Kununurra? (2) Why should country residents of Western Australia pay in decreased services for cost overruns, the inefficiency of tertiary hospitals and the minister’s inability to manage the Western Australian health system? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) In respect of my as-yet failure to deliver on the list of hospitals that the member has mentioned, I simply say to him, watch this space. Mr M.F. Board: We have been watching this space for a long time and it is a big hole in the ground. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The two members sitting immediately behind the member for Murdoch - that is, the members for Greenough and Darling Range - are quite happy with the responses I have given in the past 24 hours about their hospitals. The member for Murdoch should ask the member for Geraldton about the $49 million we are investing in that hospital. Announcements will be made about all the other hospitals in the very near future and the member will see those matters come to fruition. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: What sort of irresponsible minister would allow Yarloop hospital to have 15 patients, when sitting on his desk is a report that indicates that if a fire took place in the old timber building, there would be an inferno that would engulf the hospital within five minutes and that the staff have the capacity to remove only five or six patients in that time? No minister could do that. I am aware of the very serious issues confronting the Yarloop community and the commitments that were given to that community about not only the hospital but also services in general. I hope we will be able to work with the people of that area to find the best way to ensure that services continue. However, I will not ignore a report that says that an inferno would kill patients. Mr M.F. Board: That is not the point of the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
(2) Why should country residents of Western Australia pay in decreased services for cost overruns, the inefficiency of tertiary hospitals and the minister’s inability to manage the Western Australian health system? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) In respect of my as-yet failure to deliver on the list of hospitals that the member has mentioned, I simply say to him, watch this space. Mr M.F. Board: We have been watching this space for a long time and it is a big hole in the ground. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The two members sitting immediately behind the member for Murdoch - that is, the members for Greenough and Darling Range - are quite happy with the responses I have given in the past 24 hours about their hospitals. The member for Murdoch should ask the member for Geraldton about the $49 million we are investing in that hospital. Announcements will be made about all the other hospitals in the very near future and the member will see those matters come to fruition. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: What sort of irresponsible minister would allow Yarloop hospital to have 15 patients, when sitting on his desk is a report that indicates that if a fire took place in the old timber building, there would be an inferno that would engulf the hospital within five minutes and that the staff have the capacity to remove only five or six patients in that time? No minister could do that. I am aware of the very serious issues confronting the Yarloop community and the commitments that were given to that community about not only the hospital but also services in general. I hope we will be able to work with the people of that area to find the best way to ensure that services continue. However, I will not ignore a report that says that an inferno would kill patients. Mr M.F. Board: That is not the point of the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) In respect of my as-yet failure to deliver on the list of hospitals that the member has mentioned, I simply say to him, watch this space. Mr M.F. Board: We have been watching this space for a long time and it is a big hole in the ground. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The two members sitting immediately behind the member for Murdoch - that is, the members for Greenough and Darling Range - are quite happy with the responses I have given in the past 24 hours about their hospitals. The member for Murdoch should ask the member for Geraldton about the $49 million we are investing in that hospital. Announcements will be made about all the other hospitals in the very near future and the member will see those matters come to fruition. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: What sort of irresponsible minister would allow Yarloop hospital to have 15 patients, when sitting on his desk is a report that indicates that if a fire took place in the old timber building, there would be an inferno that would engulf the hospital within five minutes and that the staff have the capacity to remove only five or six patients in that time? No minister could do that. I am aware of the very serious issues confronting the Yarloop community and the commitments that were given to that community about not only the hospital but also services in general. I hope we will be able to work with the people of that area to find the best way to ensure that services continue. However, I will not ignore a report that says that an inferno would kill patients. Mr M.F. Board: That is not the point of the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
(1)-(2) In respect of my as-yet failure to deliver on the list of hospitals that the member has mentioned, I simply say to him, watch this space. Mr M.F. Board: We have been watching this space for a long time and it is a big hole in the ground. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The two members sitting immediately behind the member for Murdoch - that is, the members for Greenough and Darling Range - are quite happy with the responses I have given in the past 24 hours about their hospitals. The member for Murdoch should ask the member for Geraldton about the $49 million we are investing in that hospital. Announcements will be made about all the other hospitals in the very near future and the member will see those matters come to fruition. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: What sort of irresponsible minister would allow Yarloop hospital to have 15 patients, when sitting on his desk is a report that indicates that if a fire took place in the old timber building, there would be an inferno that would engulf the hospital within five minutes and that the staff have the capacity to remove only five or six patients in that time? No minister could do that. I am aware of the very serious issues confronting the Yarloop community and the commitments that were given to that community about not only the hospital but also services in general. I hope we will be able to work with the people of that area to find the best way to ensure that services continue. However, I will not ignore a report that says that an inferno would kill patients. Mr M.F. Board: That is not the point of the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Mr M.F. Board: We have been watching this space for a long time and it is a big hole in the ground. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The two members sitting immediately behind the member for Murdoch - that is, the members for Greenough and Darling Range - are quite happy with the responses I have given in the past 24 hours about their hospitals. The member for Murdoch should ask the member for Geraldton about the $49 million we are investing in that hospital. Announcements will be made about all the other hospitals in the very near future and the member will see those matters come to fruition. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: What sort of irresponsible minister would allow Yarloop hospital to have 15 patients, when sitting on his desk is a report that indicates that if a fire took place in the old timber building, there would be an inferno that would engulf the hospital within five minutes and that the staff have the capacity to remove only five or six patients in that time? No minister could do that. I am aware of the very serious issues confronting the Yarloop community and the commitments that were given to that community about not only the hospital but also services in general. I hope we will be able to work with the people of that area to find the best way to ensure that services continue. However, I will not ignore a report that says that an inferno would kill patients. Mr M.F. Board: That is not the point of the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: The two members sitting immediately behind the member for Murdoch - that is, the members for Greenough and Darling Range - are quite happy with the responses I have given in the past 24 hours about their hospitals. The member for Murdoch should ask the member for Geraldton about the $49 million we are investing in that hospital. Announcements will be made about all the other hospitals in the very near future and the member will see those matters come to fruition. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: What sort of irresponsible minister would allow Yarloop hospital to have 15 patients, when sitting on his desk is a report that indicates that if a fire took place in the old timber building, there would be an inferno that would engulf the hospital within five minutes and that the staff have the capacity to remove only five or six patients in that time? No minister could do that. I am aware of the very serious issues confronting the Yarloop community and the commitments that were given to that community about not only the hospital but also services in general. I hope we will be able to work with the people of that area to find the best way to ensure that services continue. However, I will not ignore a report that says that an inferno would kill patients. Mr M.F. Board: That is not the point of the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: What sort of irresponsible minister would allow Yarloop hospital to have 15 patients, when sitting on his desk is a report that indicates that if a fire took place in the old timber building, there would be an inferno that would engulf the hospital within five minutes and that the staff have the capacity to remove only five or six patients in that time? No minister could do that. I am aware of the very serious issues confronting the Yarloop community and the commitments that were given to that community about not only the hospital but also services in general. I hope we will be able to work with the people of that area to find the best way to ensure that services continue. However, I will not ignore a report that says that an inferno would kill patients. Mr M.F. Board: That is not the point of the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
The SPEAKER: Members! Mr J.A. McGINTY: What sort of irresponsible minister would allow Yarloop hospital to have 15 patients, when sitting on his desk is a report that indicates that if a fire took place in the old timber building, there would be an inferno that would engulf the hospital within five minutes and that the staff have the capacity to remove only five or six patients in that time? No minister could do that. I am aware of the very serious issues confronting the Yarloop community and the commitments that were given to that community about not only the hospital but also services in general. I hope we will be able to work with the people of that area to find the best way to ensure that services continue. However, I will not ignore a report that says that an inferno would kill patients. Mr M.F. Board: That is not the point of the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: What sort of irresponsible minister would allow Yarloop hospital to have 15 patients, when sitting on his desk is a report that indicates that if a fire took place in the old timber building, there would be an inferno that would engulf the hospital within five minutes and that the staff have the capacity to remove only five or six patients in that time? No minister could do that. I am aware of the very serious issues confronting the Yarloop community and the commitments that were given to that community about not only the hospital but also services in general. I hope we will be able to work with the people of that area to find the best way to ensure that services continue. However, I will not ignore a report that says that an inferno would kill patients. Mr M.F. Board: That is not the point of the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Mr M.F. Board: That is not the point of the question. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: Yes, it is. I will respond to that comment about Yarloop because that is very much the point. I did not like to have to say to the people of Yarloop that, for the safety of patients, the number of people in the hospital must be capped because if a fire took place, the inferno would kill them. I will not allow that number to be exceeded because of those safety issues. That was the only consideration. There were no budgetary considerations involved in that decision; it was purely a safety decision. I could not in all conscience have a report sitting on my desk saying that an inferno would kill those patients. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Mr M.F. Board: Would you be prepared to share that fire report with the Opposition? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: Sure; there is no problem with that. That is the only reason I am doing it. I make these sorts of reports available and I will happily discuss the issue with the member. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
The SPEAKER: Members have been relatively well behaved today, which is good. However, the member for Alfred Cove does not get an opportunity to ask questions unless she is on her feet. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: I think my good friend the member for Wagin, the Deputy Leader of the National Party, was trying to get the call. If he has a question about Dumbleyung hospital, I will save my answer until he asks it. I will provide a comprehensive explanation about the situation at Dumbleyung in response to the member for Wagin’s question. I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
I refer to Moora District Hospital. We have had this debate in this House. The health budget is not a bottomless pit. We cannot continue to provide money that we do not have. We are going through every line of expenditure in health to make sure we can meet the real needs of the broader community. I am disappointed for the people of Moora that we are not able to follow through on what was proposed for that town. That decision was made for the very simple reason that the new hospital at Moora would have replicated what is already there. No increase in facilities was proposed. The only outcome would have been a new building instead of the old building. The intention was to provide exactly the same service to the people of that area. We had a choice of putting the money into the Moora hospital or into the new, significantly upgraded and enhanced medical facility with its dramatic range of increased medical services that will be available to the people of the entire region at Geraldton Regional Hospital. The argument of the Opposition is very simple: we should fund everything. However, there is no cargo cult in health in this State. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: Everyone, including the member for Murdoch, knows deep down in their hearts that we have no capacity to meet every request that is made of us. My job - and I will not flinch from it - is to make sure that money goes into the priority areas that I have already mentioned. I give the example of cancer care. It is scandalous that hundreds, if not thousands, of Western Australians have to wait six months for radiation therapy because we need to inject more money into that budget to purchase more machines and provide more facilities. We have accepted that responsibility. As a starting point, we and the Commonwealth have committed $14 million. More significant announcements about those major areas will be made. However, we cannot do those things simply by going to the money tree and picking money. There is a finite amount of money to be spent on health, and we intend to make significant and tough decisions to redirect that money to where it really matters and can deliver good health outcomes for the public of Western Australia. We will not bow to narrow sectional interests who are interested in protecting their own patch at the expense of the better health care of the entire community in Western Australia. We have made that decision about the regional facilities. An increased amount of money is going into the region. It is going into Geraldton and the regional hospital to develop improved health care facilities for the people of that entire region. Members know that that is the truth of the matter. We will continue to make those hard decisions, notwithstanding the vested interests of groups who campaign against them. We will do that because our decisions are made in the interests of a group that is often forgotten in this equation: the patients.
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