❓ Opposition MP Cook questions Health Minister Hames about conflicting statements regarding the finality of the WA Adult Cancer Care Taskforce report. Hames defends his statements, citing ongoing discussions and planned revisions to the report.
AnsweredQoN 753Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WA ADULT
CANCER CARE TASKFORCE REPORT
753. Mr R.H. COOK to the
Minister for Health:
I refer to the minister's comments last week that the
WA Adult Cancer Care Taskforce report of 16 June 2015 was, I quote: ''a
draft report and not the final report''. I refer also to the covering
letter of the report, which I seek to lay on the table for the rest of this day's
sitting, which clearly indicates that it was not a draft but, in fact, the
final report complete with urgently required recommendations. Why did the
minister mislead Parliament last week by claiming it was in fact a draft
report?
[The paper was tabled for the
information of members.]
CANCER CARE TASKFORCE REPORT
753. Mr R.H. COOK to the
Minister for Health:
I refer to the minister's comments last week that the
WA Adult Cancer Care Taskforce report of 16 June 2015 was, I quote: ''a
draft report and not the final report''. I refer also to the covering
letter of the report, which I seek to lay on the table for the rest of this day's
sitting, which clearly indicates that it was not a draft but, in fact, the
final report complete with urgently required recommendations. Why did the
minister mislead Parliament last week by claiming it was in fact a draft
report?
[The paper was tabled for the
information of members.]
AnswerView source ↗
I think the member needs to read Hansard more carefully. It is available
to him; all he has to do is go back to it. Before he interjects, if he reads
the rest of it, he will see that I am not absolutely sure it was a final
report.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : Let me tell you this. What happened —
Several members interjected.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : No, I said it in my answer. It is there in Hansard , in my answer. What happened —
An opposition member interjected.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : No, because what happened is that report was provided to the
acting director general. Discussions were had between Christobel Saunders, who
wrote that report, and the DG. It was agreed that another version of that
report would be done that included the things we needed to do as a government
to fix those things. That is why I was not provided with that report, as I
indicated to members previously. I was not provided with that report because it
was the intention of Professor Christobel Saunders and the acting DG to bring
to me things that needed to be done to fix those. Remember, we requested that
report. We requested it. I know that Professor Saunders has had a chat to the
member and I know that she was pretty unhappy with what he and his side of
politics have done.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : My bet is that she will —
Mr
R.H. Cook interjected.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : We will see, won't we?
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana!
Mr
R.H. Cook interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana, I call you to order for the first time; and
Minister for Health, for the first time. Member for Kwinana, I should actually
call you for the second time. I want the minister to answer succinctly. Let us
get going.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : I said in Hansard as
I concluded my remarks that I was not absolutely certain that that report was
not the final report, but that —
Mr
M. McGowan : The draft copy of the report.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : Read the whole of my sentence. Do not just pluck out a sentence
here and there. If the member reads the whole of my response to Parliament, he
will find it. It is there; I did say that. I said at the start that I thought
it was just a draft, and I made clear during my speech that I was not certain
it was just a draft, but I was told—again, I said this in my response—that
there was an intention to change the final version that came to me to include
the things that we need to do as a government to fix those things.
to him; all he has to do is go back to it. Before he interjects, if he reads
the rest of it, he will see that I am not absolutely sure it was a final
report.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : Let me tell you this. What happened —
Several members interjected.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : No, I said it in my answer. It is there in Hansard , in my answer. What happened —
An opposition member interjected.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : No, because what happened is that report was provided to the
acting director general. Discussions were had between Christobel Saunders, who
wrote that report, and the DG. It was agreed that another version of that
report would be done that included the things we needed to do as a government
to fix those things. That is why I was not provided with that report, as I
indicated to members previously. I was not provided with that report because it
was the intention of Professor Christobel Saunders and the acting DG to bring
to me things that needed to be done to fix those. Remember, we requested that
report. We requested it. I know that Professor Saunders has had a chat to the
member and I know that she was pretty unhappy with what he and his side of
politics have done.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : My bet is that she will —
Mr
R.H. Cook interjected.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : We will see, won't we?
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana!
Mr
R.H. Cook interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana, I call you to order for the first time; and
Minister for Health, for the first time. Member for Kwinana, I should actually
call you for the second time. I want the minister to answer succinctly. Let us
get going.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : I said in Hansard as
I concluded my remarks that I was not absolutely certain that that report was
not the final report, but that —
Mr
M. McGowan : The draft copy of the report.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : Read the whole of my sentence. Do not just pluck out a sentence
here and there. If the member reads the whole of my response to Parliament, he
will find it. It is there; I did say that. I said at the start that I thought
it was just a draft, and I made clear during my speech that I was not certain
it was just a draft, but I was told—again, I said this in my response—that
there was an intention to change the final version that came to me to include
the things that we need to do as a government to fix those things.
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