❓ Question 99 concerns the Treasurer's response to the Member for Vasse's absence due to a breakdown and the handling of his privacy. Question 100 discusses the opening of the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and WA's research funding.
AnsweredQoN 99Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MEMBER FOR VASSE — STATE BUDGET PROCESS
99. Mr B.S. WYATT to the
Treasurer:
I ask a supplementary question. Given that the Treasurer said
at the meeting on 24 February that he was ''very concerned about his
welfare'', referring to the member for Vasse, why did he believe that he
would be returning to work in a couple of days?
99. Mr B.S. WYATT to the
Treasurer:
I ask a supplementary question. Given that the Treasurer said
at the meeting on 24 February that he was ''very concerned about his
welfare'', referring to the member for Vasse, why did he believe that he
would be returning to work in a couple of days?
AnswerView source ↗
When one is told that a colleague and a friend has had a
breakdown, one is going to be concerned. Anyone would be, I think.
Mr
J.R. Quigley : Concerned enough to say why?
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : The member for Butler was shown respect from this side when
he had a health problem. Perhaps he might do the same.
I was told that he had had a
breakdown and that he would be absent for whatever reason. Rachael Turnseck
was, understandably, very upset. I assumed that he would be away—I had
no real basis for making any judgement about that—but in my mind I
thought he would be away for a few days. As that week went on and I realised
probably by about Wednesday that he had been admitted to hospital, I realised
that his absence would be greater, particularly more so when he was moved to a
clinic in Sydney. It was therefore on the Friday that I made the decision to
formally become acting Treasurer and Minister for Transport. That Friday led
into a long weekend, so on Tuesday I informed cabinet that it was a
health-related matter. I also informed the media that it was a health-related
matter. As I said yesterday, I thank the media for respecting his privacy. He
requested privacy. Indeed, it is my understanding that his doctors said that
privacy was important for his wellbeing. Why would you not do all that you
could do to help a friend and colleague who is clearly unwell, and try to
honour his wishes for privacy during that time? Eventually it was going to come
out, and it did. But at least he was given a degree of privacy while he was in
hospital for 10 days.
HARRY
PERKINS INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL RESEARCH
100. Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE to the Minister for Health:
I understand that the Minister for
Health attended the opening of the new Harry Perkins Institute of Medical
Research at Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre today, together with the Prime
Minister. Could he please advise the house how this new medical research hub
will benefit Western Australia?
Dr
K.D. HAMES replied:
I was very pleased to represent the
state at the opening of the Harry Perkins Institute today. I did not get off to
a great start, because in one sentence I demoted the Prime Minister to Premier
and promoted the Governor to Governor General! Hopefully my speech was a bit
better after that. We talked about the state government contribution of $50 million,
of which $25 million was allocated to the centre and $25 million to the new
research institute at Fiona Stanley Hospital. In addition, $5.4 million was
provided by the Lotteries Commission towards its construction. It is a
magnificent building and a great research facility. One of the points that I
made during my speech is that the University of Western Australia, Sir Charles
Gairdner Hospital, our research facilities, including the Lions Eye Institute
and, of course, a $1.2 billion new children's hospital that includes
the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research are absolutely fantastic
places at which to place state-based research. On top of that, there is the
additional $30 million over four years that was committed in the lead-up to the
last election for additional research funding. Of that, $6 million was
allocated last year and $8 million will be allocated this year and the
following two years. That $30 million will try to boost research in the state.
Given that the federal Minister for
Health, Hon Peter Dutton, was at the opening, I took the opportunity to talk
about Western Australia's very poor share of research funding. We get
about 3.8 per cent, which is well short of our population base. National Health
and Medical Research Council research grants are not based on population;
rather, they are based on application. The research hubs of Sydney and
Melbourne, with so many research institutes, tend to dominate the funds. I
suggested to Mr Dutton that Western Australia's problem is that,
without having the funds to crank us up to a much higher level, we struggle to
get an application of a sufficient standard that will be successful in getting
a grant. A bit of a leg-up would be helpful. Hopefully the new centre will do
that. Hopefully our additional research funds will do that, because there is no
question that we have the talent in this state to undertake research. Nobel
laureate Barry Marshall was at the function, and he is a great example of what
can be achieved by researchers in this state. A huge amount of other research
work in Western Australia has been extremely successful. We hope this will be
the start of a brand-new day for research in Western Australia.
breakdown, one is going to be concerned. Anyone would be, I think.
Mr
J.R. Quigley : Concerned enough to say why?
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : The member for Butler was shown respect from this side when
he had a health problem. Perhaps he might do the same.
I was told that he had had a
breakdown and that he would be absent for whatever reason. Rachael Turnseck
was, understandably, very upset. I assumed that he would be away—I had
no real basis for making any judgement about that—but in my mind I
thought he would be away for a few days. As that week went on and I realised
probably by about Wednesday that he had been admitted to hospital, I realised
that his absence would be greater, particularly more so when he was moved to a
clinic in Sydney. It was therefore on the Friday that I made the decision to
formally become acting Treasurer and Minister for Transport. That Friday led
into a long weekend, so on Tuesday I informed cabinet that it was a
health-related matter. I also informed the media that it was a health-related
matter. As I said yesterday, I thank the media for respecting his privacy. He
requested privacy. Indeed, it is my understanding that his doctors said that
privacy was important for his wellbeing. Why would you not do all that you
could do to help a friend and colleague who is clearly unwell, and try to
honour his wishes for privacy during that time? Eventually it was going to come
out, and it did. But at least he was given a degree of privacy while he was in
hospital for 10 days.
HARRY
PERKINS INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL RESEARCH
100. Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE to the Minister for Health:
I understand that the Minister for
Health attended the opening of the new Harry Perkins Institute of Medical
Research at Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre today, together with the Prime
Minister. Could he please advise the house how this new medical research hub
will benefit Western Australia?
Dr
K.D. HAMES replied:
I was very pleased to represent the
state at the opening of the Harry Perkins Institute today. I did not get off to
a great start, because in one sentence I demoted the Prime Minister to Premier
and promoted the Governor to Governor General! Hopefully my speech was a bit
better after that. We talked about the state government contribution of $50 million,
of which $25 million was allocated to the centre and $25 million to the new
research institute at Fiona Stanley Hospital. In addition, $5.4 million was
provided by the Lotteries Commission towards its construction. It is a
magnificent building and a great research facility. One of the points that I
made during my speech is that the University of Western Australia, Sir Charles
Gairdner Hospital, our research facilities, including the Lions Eye Institute
and, of course, a $1.2 billion new children's hospital that includes
the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research are absolutely fantastic
places at which to place state-based research. On top of that, there is the
additional $30 million over four years that was committed in the lead-up to the
last election for additional research funding. Of that, $6 million was
allocated last year and $8 million will be allocated this year and the
following two years. That $30 million will try to boost research in the state.
Given that the federal Minister for
Health, Hon Peter Dutton, was at the opening, I took the opportunity to talk
about Western Australia's very poor share of research funding. We get
about 3.8 per cent, which is well short of our population base. National Health
and Medical Research Council research grants are not based on population;
rather, they are based on application. The research hubs of Sydney and
Melbourne, with so many research institutes, tend to dominate the funds. I
suggested to Mr Dutton that Western Australia's problem is that,
without having the funds to crank us up to a much higher level, we struggle to
get an application of a sufficient standard that will be successful in getting
a grant. A bit of a leg-up would be helpful. Hopefully the new centre will do
that. Hopefully our additional research funds will do that, because there is no
question that we have the talent in this state to undertake research. Nobel
laureate Barry Marshall was at the function, and he is a great example of what
can be achieved by researchers in this state. A huge amount of other research
work in Western Australia has been extremely successful. We hope this will be
the start of a brand-new day for research in Western Australia.
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