❓ A parliamentary question regarding claims of $300,000 being spent on refurbishing a hospital unit for Queen Elizabeth II at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. The Minister denies the claims, stating the expenditure is $33,000 for security upgrades related to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
AnsweredQoN 606Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SIR CHARLES GAIRDNER HOSPITAL — ROOMS REFURBISHMENT
I refer to claims by United Voice on 6PR this morning that the state government is spending more than $300 000 on refurbishing a hospital unit at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Can the minister please confirm to the house whether these claims by United Voice are correct or is it once again being loose with the truth? Dr K.D. HAMES
I refer to claims by United Voice on 6PR this morning that the state government is spending more than $300 000 on refurbishing a hospital unit at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Can the minister please confirm to the house whether these claims by United Voice are correct or is it once again being loose with the truth? Dr K.D. HAMES
AnswerView source ↗
It is not called Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre for nothing! Once again, the puppet masters are out there. United Voice is the puppet master of the opposition and particularly of the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. What similarity can we see between what United Voice claims and what the opposition normally says? They are both absolutely wrong. Caroline Smith from United Voice is once again sprouting absolute nonsense. Let us go through in order the things that she said. Let us see how accurate she is. It is a bit like the figures of the Leader of the Opposition! Caroline Smith said that in anticipation of the Queen coming to Perth $300 000 is being spent to create special rooms for the Queen at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in case she gets ill. We are doing some refurbishment work. Regular refurbishment work to maintain our hospitals is in all our hospitals’ budgets. We have an allocation of $33 000—not $300 000—to create an area of security within wards that we are upgrading because 53 commonwealth heads of government are coming to Western Australia. They just may need some security if they happen to get sick. We have provided $33 000 to create an area of security within that hospital in case one of the 53 heads of government or their senior staff get ill and need security at the hospital. Her first comment is absolutely wrong. What an absolute beat up! The Queen’s visit has not been confirmed yet. When that occurs, do members think that the Queen is going to go to that section, now that everybody has been told about it? How silly would that be? That first comment is absolutely wrong. Mr E.S. Ripper : So there is a secret suite for the Queen, is there? Dr K.D. HAMES : I would not tell the member if there was! As we saw in the absolute rubbish that was put out about the contracting services at Fiona Stanley Hospital, we see a complete distortion of the truth by members opposite. Caroline Smith’s second comment is that what is good enough for the citizens of Western Australia is not good enough for the Queen. That is quite clearly wrong because it is routine refurbishment. The only extra bit of money is being spent on security. Whatever work is done to those hospitals will remain. The quality of the standard of service in our hospitals is as good as anywhere in the world. The standard for Western Australians is of the highest quality in the world. Caroline Smith also says that this is happening when people are waiting longer for elective surgery. All she has to do is get on the website of the Department of Health and see what waiting times are like for hospitals in this state; they have never been better. Under this government, the waiting times for people to have surgery are the best in almost every category and better than they have ever been in the history of this state. So that comment by Caroline Smith is also wrong. She also says that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments. How long will it take to get the story across? I told this house earlier this week that around 250-plus people are not dying anymore in our hospitals—that is the number that died under the former government—because of our four-hour rule and the result in our eight-hour waits. The statistics clearly show that we have gone from being the worst state in Australia for eight-hour waits for a bed, to the best state in Australia for eight-hour waits. For Caroline Smith to come out and tell the public that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments is an absolute mistruth. People who go out and scaremonger and tell loads of codswallop to the public should apologise to the people of this state.
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: It is not called Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre for nothing! Once again, the puppet masters are out there. United Voice is the puppet master of the opposition and particularly of the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. What similarity can we see between what United Voice claims and what the opposition normally says? They are both absolutely wrong. Caroline Smith from United Voice is once again sprouting absolute nonsense. Let us go through in order the things that she said. Let us see how accurate she is. It is a bit like the figures of the Leader of the Opposition! Caroline Smith said that in anticipation of the Queen coming to Perth $300 000 is being spent to create special rooms for the Queen at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in case she gets ill. We are doing some refurbishment work. Regular refurbishment work to maintain our hospitals is in all our hospitals’ budgets. We have an allocation of $33 000—not $300 000—to create an area of security within wards that we are upgrading because 53 commonwealth heads of government are coming to Western Australia. They just may need some security if they happen to get sick. We have provided $33 000 to create an area of security within that hospital in case one of the 53 heads of government or their senior staff get ill and need security at the hospital. Her first comment is absolutely wrong. What an absolute beat up! The Queen’s visit has not been confirmed yet. When that occurs, do members think that the Queen is going to go to that section, now that everybody has been told about it? How silly would that be? That first comment is absolutely wrong. Mr E.S. Ripper : So there is a secret suite for the Queen, is there? Dr K.D. HAMES : I would not tell the member if there was! As we saw in the absolute rubbish that was put out about the contracting services at Fiona Stanley Hospital, we see a complete distortion of the truth by members opposite. Caroline Smith’s second comment is that what is good enough for the citizens of Western Australia is not good enough for the Queen. That is quite clearly wrong because it is routine refurbishment. The only extra bit of money is being spent on security. Whatever work is done to those hospitals will remain. The quality of the standard of service in our hospitals is as good as anywhere in the world. The standard for Western Australians is of the highest quality in the world. Caroline Smith also says that this is happening when people are waiting longer for elective surgery. All she has to do is get on the website of the Department of Health and see what waiting times are like for hospitals in this state; they have never been better. Under this government, the waiting times for people to have surgery are the best in almost every category and better than they have ever been in the history of this state. So that comment by Caroline Smith is also wrong. She also says that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments. How long will it take to get the story across? I told this house earlier this week that around 250-plus people are not dying anymore in our hospitals—that is the number that died under the former government—because of our four-hour rule and the result in our eight-hour waits. The statistics clearly show that we have gone from being the worst state in Australia for eight-hour waits for a bed, to the best state in Australia for eight-hour waits. For Caroline Smith to come out and tell the public that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments is an absolute mistruth. People who go out and scaremonger and tell loads of codswallop to the public should apologise to the people of this state.
It is not called Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre for nothing! Once again, the puppet masters are out there. United Voice is the puppet master of the opposition and particularly of the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. What similarity can we see between what United Voice claims and what the opposition normally says? They are both absolutely wrong. Caroline Smith from United Voice is once again sprouting absolute nonsense. Let us go through in order the things that she said. Let us see how accurate she is. It is a bit like the figures of the Leader of the Opposition! Caroline Smith said that in anticipation of the Queen coming to Perth $300 000 is being spent to create special rooms for the Queen at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in case she gets ill. We are doing some refurbishment work. Regular refurbishment work to maintain our hospitals is in all our hospitals’ budgets. We have an allocation of $33 000—not $300 000—to create an area of security within wards that we are upgrading because 53 commonwealth heads of government are coming to Western Australia. They just may need some security if they happen to get sick. We have provided $33 000 to create an area of security within that hospital in case one of the 53 heads of government or their senior staff get ill and need security at the hospital. Her first comment is absolutely wrong. What an absolute beat up! The Queen’s visit has not been confirmed yet. When that occurs, do members think that the Queen is going to go to that section, now that everybody has been told about it? How silly would that be? That first comment is absolutely wrong. Mr E.S. Ripper : So there is a secret suite for the Queen, is there? Dr K.D. HAMES : I would not tell the member if there was! As we saw in the absolute rubbish that was put out about the contracting services at Fiona Stanley Hospital, we see a complete distortion of the truth by members opposite. Caroline Smith’s second comment is that what is good enough for the citizens of Western Australia is not good enough for the Queen. That is quite clearly wrong because it is routine refurbishment. The only extra bit of money is being spent on security. Whatever work is done to those hospitals will remain. The quality of the standard of service in our hospitals is as good as anywhere in the world. The standard for Western Australians is of the highest quality in the world. Caroline Smith also says that this is happening when people are waiting longer for elective surgery. All she has to do is get on the website of the Department of Health and see what waiting times are like for hospitals in this state; they have never been better. Under this government, the waiting times for people to have surgery are the best in almost every category and better than they have ever been in the history of this state. So that comment by Caroline Smith is also wrong. She also says that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments. How long will it take to get the story across? I told this house earlier this week that around 250-plus people are not dying anymore in our hospitals—that is the number that died under the former government—because of our four-hour rule and the result in our eight-hour waits. The statistics clearly show that we have gone from being the worst state in Australia for eight-hour waits for a bed, to the best state in Australia for eight-hour waits. For Caroline Smith to come out and tell the public that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments is an absolute mistruth. People who go out and scaremonger and tell loads of codswallop to the public should apologise to the people of this state.
Once again, the puppet masters are out there. United Voice is the puppet master of the opposition and particularly of the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. What similarity can we see between what United Voice claims and what the opposition normally says? They are both absolutely wrong. Caroline Smith from United Voice is once again sprouting absolute nonsense. Let us go through in order the things that she said. Let us see how accurate she is. It is a bit like the figures of the Leader of the Opposition! Caroline Smith said that in anticipation of the Queen coming to Perth $300 000 is being spent to create special rooms for the Queen at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in case she gets ill. We are doing some refurbishment work. Regular refurbishment work to maintain our hospitals is in all our hospitals’ budgets. We have an allocation of $33 000—not $300 000—to create an area of security within wards that we are upgrading because 53 commonwealth heads of government are coming to Western Australia. They just may need some security if they happen to get sick. We have provided $33 000 to create an area of security within that hospital in case one of the 53 heads of government or their senior staff get ill and need security at the hospital. Her first comment is absolutely wrong. What an absolute beat up! The Queen’s visit has not been confirmed yet. When that occurs, do members think that the Queen is going to go to that section, now that everybody has been told about it? How silly would that be? That first comment is absolutely wrong. Mr E.S. Ripper : So there is a secret suite for the Queen, is there? Dr K.D. HAMES : I would not tell the member if there was! As we saw in the absolute rubbish that was put out about the contracting services at Fiona Stanley Hospital, we see a complete distortion of the truth by members opposite. Caroline Smith’s second comment is that what is good enough for the citizens of Western Australia is not good enough for the Queen. That is quite clearly wrong because it is routine refurbishment. The only extra bit of money is being spent on security. Whatever work is done to those hospitals will remain. The quality of the standard of service in our hospitals is as good as anywhere in the world. The standard for Western Australians is of the highest quality in the world. Caroline Smith also says that this is happening when people are waiting longer for elective surgery. All she has to do is get on the website of the Department of Health and see what waiting times are like for hospitals in this state; they have never been better. Under this government, the waiting times for people to have surgery are the best in almost every category and better than they have ever been in the history of this state. So that comment by Caroline Smith is also wrong. She also says that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments. How long will it take to get the story across? I told this house earlier this week that around 250-plus people are not dying anymore in our hospitals—that is the number that died under the former government—because of our four-hour rule and the result in our eight-hour waits. The statistics clearly show that we have gone from being the worst state in Australia for eight-hour waits for a bed, to the best state in Australia for eight-hour waits. For Caroline Smith to come out and tell the public that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments is an absolute mistruth. People who go out and scaremonger and tell loads of codswallop to the public should apologise to the people of this state.
We are doing some refurbishment work. Regular refurbishment work to maintain our hospitals is in all our hospitals’ budgets. We have an allocation of $33 000—not $300 000—to create an area of security within wards that we are upgrading because 53 commonwealth heads of government are coming to Western Australia. They just may need some security if they happen to get sick. We have provided $33 000 to create an area of security within that hospital in case one of the 53 heads of government or their senior staff get ill and need security at the hospital. Her first comment is absolutely wrong. What an absolute beat up! The Queen’s visit has not been confirmed yet. When that occurs, do members think that the Queen is going to go to that section, now that everybody has been told about it? How silly would that be? That first comment is absolutely wrong. Mr E.S. Ripper : So there is a secret suite for the Queen, is there? Dr K.D. HAMES : I would not tell the member if there was! As we saw in the absolute rubbish that was put out about the contracting services at Fiona Stanley Hospital, we see a complete distortion of the truth by members opposite. Caroline Smith’s second comment is that what is good enough for the citizens of Western Australia is not good enough for the Queen. That is quite clearly wrong because it is routine refurbishment. The only extra bit of money is being spent on security. Whatever work is done to those hospitals will remain. The quality of the standard of service in our hospitals is as good as anywhere in the world. The standard for Western Australians is of the highest quality in the world. Caroline Smith also says that this is happening when people are waiting longer for elective surgery. All she has to do is get on the website of the Department of Health and see what waiting times are like for hospitals in this state; they have never been better. Under this government, the waiting times for people to have surgery are the best in almost every category and better than they have ever been in the history of this state. So that comment by Caroline Smith is also wrong. She also says that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments. How long will it take to get the story across? I told this house earlier this week that around 250-plus people are not dying anymore in our hospitals—that is the number that died under the former government—because of our four-hour rule and the result in our eight-hour waits. The statistics clearly show that we have gone from being the worst state in Australia for eight-hour waits for a bed, to the best state in Australia for eight-hour waits. For Caroline Smith to come out and tell the public that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments is an absolute mistruth. People who go out and scaremonger and tell loads of codswallop to the public should apologise to the people of this state.
Mr E.S. Ripper : So there is a secret suite for the Queen, is there? Dr K.D. HAMES : I would not tell the member if there was! As we saw in the absolute rubbish that was put out about the contracting services at Fiona Stanley Hospital, we see a complete distortion of the truth by members opposite. Caroline Smith’s second comment is that what is good enough for the citizens of Western Australia is not good enough for the Queen. That is quite clearly wrong because it is routine refurbishment. The only extra bit of money is being spent on security. Whatever work is done to those hospitals will remain. The quality of the standard of service in our hospitals is as good as anywhere in the world. The standard for Western Australians is of the highest quality in the world. Caroline Smith also says that this is happening when people are waiting longer for elective surgery. All she has to do is get on the website of the Department of Health and see what waiting times are like for hospitals in this state; they have never been better. Under this government, the waiting times for people to have surgery are the best in almost every category and better than they have ever been in the history of this state. So that comment by Caroline Smith is also wrong. She also says that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments. How long will it take to get the story across? I told this house earlier this week that around 250-plus people are not dying anymore in our hospitals—that is the number that died under the former government—because of our four-hour rule and the result in our eight-hour waits. The statistics clearly show that we have gone from being the worst state in Australia for eight-hour waits for a bed, to the best state in Australia for eight-hour waits. For Caroline Smith to come out and tell the public that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments is an absolute mistruth. People who go out and scaremonger and tell loads of codswallop to the public should apologise to the people of this state.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I would not tell the member if there was! As we saw in the absolute rubbish that was put out about the contracting services at Fiona Stanley Hospital, we see a complete distortion of the truth by members opposite. Caroline Smith’s second comment is that what is good enough for the citizens of Western Australia is not good enough for the Queen. That is quite clearly wrong because it is routine refurbishment. The only extra bit of money is being spent on security. Whatever work is done to those hospitals will remain. The quality of the standard of service in our hospitals is as good as anywhere in the world. The standard for Western Australians is of the highest quality in the world. Caroline Smith also says that this is happening when people are waiting longer for elective surgery. All she has to do is get on the website of the Department of Health and see what waiting times are like for hospitals in this state; they have never been better. Under this government, the waiting times for people to have surgery are the best in almost every category and better than they have ever been in the history of this state. So that comment by Caroline Smith is also wrong. She also says that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments. How long will it take to get the story across? I told this house earlier this week that around 250-plus people are not dying anymore in our hospitals—that is the number that died under the former government—because of our four-hour rule and the result in our eight-hour waits. The statistics clearly show that we have gone from being the worst state in Australia for eight-hour waits for a bed, to the best state in Australia for eight-hour waits. For Caroline Smith to come out and tell the public that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments is an absolute mistruth. People who go out and scaremonger and tell loads of codswallop to the public should apologise to the people of this state.
As we saw in the absolute rubbish that was put out about the contracting services at Fiona Stanley Hospital, we see a complete distortion of the truth by members opposite. Caroline Smith’s second comment is that what is good enough for the citizens of Western Australia is not good enough for the Queen. That is quite clearly wrong because it is routine refurbishment. The only extra bit of money is being spent on security. Whatever work is done to those hospitals will remain. The quality of the standard of service in our hospitals is as good as anywhere in the world. The standard for Western Australians is of the highest quality in the world. Caroline Smith also says that this is happening when people are waiting longer for elective surgery. All she has to do is get on the website of the Department of Health and see what waiting times are like for hospitals in this state; they have never been better. Under this government, the waiting times for people to have surgery are the best in almost every category and better than they have ever been in the history of this state. So that comment by Caroline Smith is also wrong. She also says that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments. How long will it take to get the story across? I told this house earlier this week that around 250-plus people are not dying anymore in our hospitals—that is the number that died under the former government—because of our four-hour rule and the result in our eight-hour waits. The statistics clearly show that we have gone from being the worst state in Australia for eight-hour waits for a bed, to the best state in Australia for eight-hour waits. For Caroline Smith to come out and tell the public that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments is an absolute mistruth. People who go out and scaremonger and tell loads of codswallop to the public should apologise to the people of this state.
Caroline Smith also says that this is happening when people are waiting longer for elective surgery. All she has to do is get on the website of the Department of Health and see what waiting times are like for hospitals in this state; they have never been better. Under this government, the waiting times for people to have surgery are the best in almost every category and better than they have ever been in the history of this state. So that comment by Caroline Smith is also wrong. She also says that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments. How long will it take to get the story across? I told this house earlier this week that around 250-plus people are not dying anymore in our hospitals—that is the number that died under the former government—because of our four-hour rule and the result in our eight-hour waits. The statistics clearly show that we have gone from being the worst state in Australia for eight-hour waits for a bed, to the best state in Australia for eight-hour waits. For Caroline Smith to come out and tell the public that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments is an absolute mistruth. People who go out and scaremonger and tell loads of codswallop to the public should apologise to the people of this state.
She also says that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments. How long will it take to get the story across? I told this house earlier this week that around 250-plus people are not dying anymore in our hospitals—that is the number that died under the former government—because of our four-hour rule and the result in our eight-hour waits. The statistics clearly show that we have gone from being the worst state in Australia for eight-hour waits for a bed, to the best state in Australia for eight-hour waits. For Caroline Smith to come out and tell the public that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments is an absolute mistruth. People who go out and scaremonger and tell loads of codswallop to the public should apologise to the people of this state.
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: It is not called Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre for nothing! Once again, the puppet masters are out there. United Voice is the puppet master of the opposition and particularly of the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. What similarity can we see between what United Voice claims and what the opposition normally says? They are both absolutely wrong. Caroline Smith from United Voice is once again sprouting absolute nonsense. Let us go through in order the things that she said. Let us see how accurate she is. It is a bit like the figures of the Leader of the Opposition! Caroline Smith said that in anticipation of the Queen coming to Perth $300 000 is being spent to create special rooms for the Queen at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in case she gets ill. We are doing some refurbishment work. Regular refurbishment work to maintain our hospitals is in all our hospitals’ budgets. We have an allocation of $33 000—not $300 000—to create an area of security within wards that we are upgrading because 53 commonwealth heads of government are coming to Western Australia. They just may need some security if they happen to get sick. We have provided $33 000 to create an area of security within that hospital in case one of the 53 heads of government or their senior staff get ill and need security at the hospital. Her first comment is absolutely wrong. What an absolute beat up! The Queen’s visit has not been confirmed yet. When that occurs, do members think that the Queen is going to go to that section, now that everybody has been told about it? How silly would that be? That first comment is absolutely wrong. Mr E.S. Ripper : So there is a secret suite for the Queen, is there? Dr K.D. HAMES : I would not tell the member if there was! As we saw in the absolute rubbish that was put out about the contracting services at Fiona Stanley Hospital, we see a complete distortion of the truth by members opposite. Caroline Smith’s second comment is that what is good enough for the citizens of Western Australia is not good enough for the Queen. That is quite clearly wrong because it is routine refurbishment. The only extra bit of money is being spent on security. Whatever work is done to those hospitals will remain. The quality of the standard of service in our hospitals is as good as anywhere in the world. The standard for Western Australians is of the highest quality in the world. Caroline Smith also says that this is happening when people are waiting longer for elective surgery. All she has to do is get on the website of the Department of Health and see what waiting times are like for hospitals in this state; they have never been better. Under this government, the waiting times for people to have surgery are the best in almost every category and better than they have ever been in the history of this state. So that comment by Caroline Smith is also wrong. She also says that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments. How long will it take to get the story across? I told this house earlier this week that around 250-plus people are not dying anymore in our hospitals—that is the number that died under the former government—because of our four-hour rule and the result in our eight-hour waits. The statistics clearly show that we have gone from being the worst state in Australia for eight-hour waits for a bed, to the best state in Australia for eight-hour waits. For Caroline Smith to come out and tell the public that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments is an absolute mistruth. People who go out and scaremonger and tell loads of codswallop to the public should apologise to the people of this state.
It is not called Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre for nothing! Once again, the puppet masters are out there. United Voice is the puppet master of the opposition and particularly of the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. What similarity can we see between what United Voice claims and what the opposition normally says? They are both absolutely wrong. Caroline Smith from United Voice is once again sprouting absolute nonsense. Let us go through in order the things that she said. Let us see how accurate she is. It is a bit like the figures of the Leader of the Opposition! Caroline Smith said that in anticipation of the Queen coming to Perth $300 000 is being spent to create special rooms for the Queen at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in case she gets ill. We are doing some refurbishment work. Regular refurbishment work to maintain our hospitals is in all our hospitals’ budgets. We have an allocation of $33 000—not $300 000—to create an area of security within wards that we are upgrading because 53 commonwealth heads of government are coming to Western Australia. They just may need some security if they happen to get sick. We have provided $33 000 to create an area of security within that hospital in case one of the 53 heads of government or their senior staff get ill and need security at the hospital. Her first comment is absolutely wrong. What an absolute beat up! The Queen’s visit has not been confirmed yet. When that occurs, do members think that the Queen is going to go to that section, now that everybody has been told about it? How silly would that be? That first comment is absolutely wrong. Mr E.S. Ripper : So there is a secret suite for the Queen, is there? Dr K.D. HAMES : I would not tell the member if there was! As we saw in the absolute rubbish that was put out about the contracting services at Fiona Stanley Hospital, we see a complete distortion of the truth by members opposite. Caroline Smith’s second comment is that what is good enough for the citizens of Western Australia is not good enough for the Queen. That is quite clearly wrong because it is routine refurbishment. The only extra bit of money is being spent on security. Whatever work is done to those hospitals will remain. The quality of the standard of service in our hospitals is as good as anywhere in the world. The standard for Western Australians is of the highest quality in the world. Caroline Smith also says that this is happening when people are waiting longer for elective surgery. All she has to do is get on the website of the Department of Health and see what waiting times are like for hospitals in this state; they have never been better. Under this government, the waiting times for people to have surgery are the best in almost every category and better than they have ever been in the history of this state. So that comment by Caroline Smith is also wrong. She also says that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments. How long will it take to get the story across? I told this house earlier this week that around 250-plus people are not dying anymore in our hospitals—that is the number that died under the former government—because of our four-hour rule and the result in our eight-hour waits. The statistics clearly show that we have gone from being the worst state in Australia for eight-hour waits for a bed, to the best state in Australia for eight-hour waits. For Caroline Smith to come out and tell the public that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments is an absolute mistruth. People who go out and scaremonger and tell loads of codswallop to the public should apologise to the people of this state.
Once again, the puppet masters are out there. United Voice is the puppet master of the opposition and particularly of the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. What similarity can we see between what United Voice claims and what the opposition normally says? They are both absolutely wrong. Caroline Smith from United Voice is once again sprouting absolute nonsense. Let us go through in order the things that she said. Let us see how accurate she is. It is a bit like the figures of the Leader of the Opposition! Caroline Smith said that in anticipation of the Queen coming to Perth $300 000 is being spent to create special rooms for the Queen at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in case she gets ill. We are doing some refurbishment work. Regular refurbishment work to maintain our hospitals is in all our hospitals’ budgets. We have an allocation of $33 000—not $300 000—to create an area of security within wards that we are upgrading because 53 commonwealth heads of government are coming to Western Australia. They just may need some security if they happen to get sick. We have provided $33 000 to create an area of security within that hospital in case one of the 53 heads of government or their senior staff get ill and need security at the hospital. Her first comment is absolutely wrong. What an absolute beat up! The Queen’s visit has not been confirmed yet. When that occurs, do members think that the Queen is going to go to that section, now that everybody has been told about it? How silly would that be? That first comment is absolutely wrong. Mr E.S. Ripper : So there is a secret suite for the Queen, is there? Dr K.D. HAMES : I would not tell the member if there was! As we saw in the absolute rubbish that was put out about the contracting services at Fiona Stanley Hospital, we see a complete distortion of the truth by members opposite. Caroline Smith’s second comment is that what is good enough for the citizens of Western Australia is not good enough for the Queen. That is quite clearly wrong because it is routine refurbishment. The only extra bit of money is being spent on security. Whatever work is done to those hospitals will remain. The quality of the standard of service in our hospitals is as good as anywhere in the world. The standard for Western Australians is of the highest quality in the world. Caroline Smith also says that this is happening when people are waiting longer for elective surgery. All she has to do is get on the website of the Department of Health and see what waiting times are like for hospitals in this state; they have never been better. Under this government, the waiting times for people to have surgery are the best in almost every category and better than they have ever been in the history of this state. So that comment by Caroline Smith is also wrong. She also says that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments. How long will it take to get the story across? I told this house earlier this week that around 250-plus people are not dying anymore in our hospitals—that is the number that died under the former government—because of our four-hour rule and the result in our eight-hour waits. The statistics clearly show that we have gone from being the worst state in Australia for eight-hour waits for a bed, to the best state in Australia for eight-hour waits. For Caroline Smith to come out and tell the public that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments is an absolute mistruth. People who go out and scaremonger and tell loads of codswallop to the public should apologise to the people of this state.
We are doing some refurbishment work. Regular refurbishment work to maintain our hospitals is in all our hospitals’ budgets. We have an allocation of $33 000—not $300 000—to create an area of security within wards that we are upgrading because 53 commonwealth heads of government are coming to Western Australia. They just may need some security if they happen to get sick. We have provided $33 000 to create an area of security within that hospital in case one of the 53 heads of government or their senior staff get ill and need security at the hospital. Her first comment is absolutely wrong. What an absolute beat up! The Queen’s visit has not been confirmed yet. When that occurs, do members think that the Queen is going to go to that section, now that everybody has been told about it? How silly would that be? That first comment is absolutely wrong. Mr E.S. Ripper : So there is a secret suite for the Queen, is there? Dr K.D. HAMES : I would not tell the member if there was! As we saw in the absolute rubbish that was put out about the contracting services at Fiona Stanley Hospital, we see a complete distortion of the truth by members opposite. Caroline Smith’s second comment is that what is good enough for the citizens of Western Australia is not good enough for the Queen. That is quite clearly wrong because it is routine refurbishment. The only extra bit of money is being spent on security. Whatever work is done to those hospitals will remain. The quality of the standard of service in our hospitals is as good as anywhere in the world. The standard for Western Australians is of the highest quality in the world. Caroline Smith also says that this is happening when people are waiting longer for elective surgery. All she has to do is get on the website of the Department of Health and see what waiting times are like for hospitals in this state; they have never been better. Under this government, the waiting times for people to have surgery are the best in almost every category and better than they have ever been in the history of this state. So that comment by Caroline Smith is also wrong. She also says that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments. How long will it take to get the story across? I told this house earlier this week that around 250-plus people are not dying anymore in our hospitals—that is the number that died under the former government—because of our four-hour rule and the result in our eight-hour waits. The statistics clearly show that we have gone from being the worst state in Australia for eight-hour waits for a bed, to the best state in Australia for eight-hour waits. For Caroline Smith to come out and tell the public that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments is an absolute mistruth. People who go out and scaremonger and tell loads of codswallop to the public should apologise to the people of this state.
Mr E.S. Ripper : So there is a secret suite for the Queen, is there? Dr K.D. HAMES : I would not tell the member if there was! As we saw in the absolute rubbish that was put out about the contracting services at Fiona Stanley Hospital, we see a complete distortion of the truth by members opposite. Caroline Smith’s second comment is that what is good enough for the citizens of Western Australia is not good enough for the Queen. That is quite clearly wrong because it is routine refurbishment. The only extra bit of money is being spent on security. Whatever work is done to those hospitals will remain. The quality of the standard of service in our hospitals is as good as anywhere in the world. The standard for Western Australians is of the highest quality in the world. Caroline Smith also says that this is happening when people are waiting longer for elective surgery. All she has to do is get on the website of the Department of Health and see what waiting times are like for hospitals in this state; they have never been better. Under this government, the waiting times for people to have surgery are the best in almost every category and better than they have ever been in the history of this state. So that comment by Caroline Smith is also wrong. She also says that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments. How long will it take to get the story across? I told this house earlier this week that around 250-plus people are not dying anymore in our hospitals—that is the number that died under the former government—because of our four-hour rule and the result in our eight-hour waits. The statistics clearly show that we have gone from being the worst state in Australia for eight-hour waits for a bed, to the best state in Australia for eight-hour waits. For Caroline Smith to come out and tell the public that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments is an absolute mistruth. People who go out and scaremonger and tell loads of codswallop to the public should apologise to the people of this state.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I would not tell the member if there was! As we saw in the absolute rubbish that was put out about the contracting services at Fiona Stanley Hospital, we see a complete distortion of the truth by members opposite. Caroline Smith’s second comment is that what is good enough for the citizens of Western Australia is not good enough for the Queen. That is quite clearly wrong because it is routine refurbishment. The only extra bit of money is being spent on security. Whatever work is done to those hospitals will remain. The quality of the standard of service in our hospitals is as good as anywhere in the world. The standard for Western Australians is of the highest quality in the world. Caroline Smith also says that this is happening when people are waiting longer for elective surgery. All she has to do is get on the website of the Department of Health and see what waiting times are like for hospitals in this state; they have never been better. Under this government, the waiting times for people to have surgery are the best in almost every category and better than they have ever been in the history of this state. So that comment by Caroline Smith is also wrong. She also says that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments. How long will it take to get the story across? I told this house earlier this week that around 250-plus people are not dying anymore in our hospitals—that is the number that died under the former government—because of our four-hour rule and the result in our eight-hour waits. The statistics clearly show that we have gone from being the worst state in Australia for eight-hour waits for a bed, to the best state in Australia for eight-hour waits. For Caroline Smith to come out and tell the public that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments is an absolute mistruth. People who go out and scaremonger and tell loads of codswallop to the public should apologise to the people of this state.
As we saw in the absolute rubbish that was put out about the contracting services at Fiona Stanley Hospital, we see a complete distortion of the truth by members opposite. Caroline Smith’s second comment is that what is good enough for the citizens of Western Australia is not good enough for the Queen. That is quite clearly wrong because it is routine refurbishment. The only extra bit of money is being spent on security. Whatever work is done to those hospitals will remain. The quality of the standard of service in our hospitals is as good as anywhere in the world. The standard for Western Australians is of the highest quality in the world. Caroline Smith also says that this is happening when people are waiting longer for elective surgery. All she has to do is get on the website of the Department of Health and see what waiting times are like for hospitals in this state; they have never been better. Under this government, the waiting times for people to have surgery are the best in almost every category and better than they have ever been in the history of this state. So that comment by Caroline Smith is also wrong. She also says that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments. How long will it take to get the story across? I told this house earlier this week that around 250-plus people are not dying anymore in our hospitals—that is the number that died under the former government—because of our four-hour rule and the result in our eight-hour waits. The statistics clearly show that we have gone from being the worst state in Australia for eight-hour waits for a bed, to the best state in Australia for eight-hour waits. For Caroline Smith to come out and tell the public that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments is an absolute mistruth. People who go out and scaremonger and tell loads of codswallop to the public should apologise to the people of this state.
Caroline Smith also says that this is happening when people are waiting longer for elective surgery. All she has to do is get on the website of the Department of Health and see what waiting times are like for hospitals in this state; they have never been better. Under this government, the waiting times for people to have surgery are the best in almost every category and better than they have ever been in the history of this state. So that comment by Caroline Smith is also wrong. She also says that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments. How long will it take to get the story across? I told this house earlier this week that around 250-plus people are not dying anymore in our hospitals—that is the number that died under the former government—because of our four-hour rule and the result in our eight-hour waits. The statistics clearly show that we have gone from being the worst state in Australia for eight-hour waits for a bed, to the best state in Australia for eight-hour waits. For Caroline Smith to come out and tell the public that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments is an absolute mistruth. People who go out and scaremonger and tell loads of codswallop to the public should apologise to the people of this state.
She also says that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments. How long will it take to get the story across? I told this house earlier this week that around 250-plus people are not dying anymore in our hospitals—that is the number that died under the former government—because of our four-hour rule and the result in our eight-hour waits. The statistics clearly show that we have gone from being the worst state in Australia for eight-hour waits for a bed, to the best state in Australia for eight-hour waits. For Caroline Smith to come out and tell the public that people are waiting longer in our emergency departments is an absolute mistruth. People who go out and scaremonger and tell loads of codswallop to the public should apologise to the people of this state.
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