❓ Mr. Paolino asks the Treasurer how the government's health investment increases capacity. Ms. Saffioti highlights infrastructure projects, including a new hospital in Geraldton and the purchase of St John of God Mount Lawley Hospital, as key to boosting capacity.
⏳ Awaiting AnswerQoN 276Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
State budget 2026–27—Health276.Mr Frank Paolinoto
theTreasurer:I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to ensuring Western Australians can access the
health care they need when they need it. Can the Treasurer please outline to
the house how the Cook Labor government's record investment in health care means
greater capacity in our health system?Ms Rita Saffioti replied:I think I
thank the member for Mount Lawley for that question! Thank you very much.This is an
opportunity to again reinforce that this budget has a huge focus on health. We
heard it from the Minister for Health just before question time. Of course, a
key aspect is in health infrastructure and a record commitment to health
infrastructure around the state. I am glad we heard from the member for
Geraldton because the member for Geraldton seems to miss the fact that we have
built a brand-new hospital in her town. I have never seen anyone who seems to
skip over a key fact, which is that we have built a brand-new hospital—something
that they never delivered despite being in government for eight and a half
years. It has been a Labor government that is delivering a brand-new hospital
in Geraldton.Of course, member
for Mount Lawley, another big announcement was the purchase of the St John of
God Mount Lawley Hospital. This key transaction to purchase this brand-new
hospital has been undertaken through my team and the team of the Minister for
Health Infrastructure. The Minister for Health is very keen to get her hands on
those new beds, which will support activity across the system. The benefit of
buying an existing hospital is that it is there and the beds are there. As a
result, we will get access to another 118 beds, including over 50 additional
beds that have already been bought as part of our winter strategy. This is 118
additional beds, eight operating theatres, two procedure rooms and a number of
other services. It will boost hospital capacity and is in a key location across
the suburbs. It will also very much fit into the Royal Perth Hospital strategy,
which means that older patientsin particular can
move from Royal Perth and into Mount Lawley as we transition them out of a hospital
setting andinto either a community home or aged-care setting. It is a
vital part of our future.This is part of our
overall $5.5 billion spend. Whether it is the women's and babies' hospital
down at Murdoch, the contractors having been selected for the new emergency
departments at Royal Perth and Mandurah or the massive hospital rebuilds around
the state—down in Bunbury, up in Geraldton and across the state—it is a record
spend. As Treasurer, I am very proud of the fact that we are putting these
funds into our health infrastructure and health system by building and buying
hospitals for future generations.VisitorsThe Speaker:Just before I give the call to the member
for Cottesloe, I would like to welcome the former member for Balcatta, and
possibly the best member for Balcatta, Nick Catania, up in the gallery today
with some friends. On behalf of all members of the government and especially
the member for Midland, whose dad he is, welcome, Nick; it is good to see you
again.
State budget 2026–27—Health
276.Mr Frank Paolinoto
theTreasurer:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to ensuring Western Australians can access the
health care they need when they need it. Can the Treasurer please outline to
the house how the Cook Labor government's record investment in health care means
greater capacity in our health system?
Ms Rita Saffioti replied:
I think I
thank the member for Mount Lawley for that question! Thank you very much.
This is an
opportunity to again reinforce that this budget has a huge focus on health. We
heard it from the Minister for Health just before question time. Of course, a
key aspect is in health infrastructure and a record commitment to health
infrastructure around the state. I am glad we heard from the member for
Geraldton because the member for Geraldton seems to miss the fact that we have
built a brand-new hospital in her town. I have never seen anyone who seems to
skip over a key fact, which is that we have built a brand-new hospital—something
that they never delivered despite being in government for eight and a half
years. It has been a Labor government that is delivering a brand-new hospital
in Geraldton.
Of course, member
for Mount Lawley, another big announcement was the purchase of the St John of
God Mount Lawley Hospital. This key transaction to purchase this brand-new
hospital has been undertaken through my team and the team of the Minister for
Health Infrastructure. The Minister for Health is very keen to get her hands on
those new beds, which will support activity across the system. The benefit of
buying an existing hospital is that it is there and the beds are there. As a
result, we will get access to another 118 beds, including over 50 additional
beds that have already been bought as part of our winter strategy. This is 118
additional beds, eight operating theatres, two procedure rooms and a number of
other services. It will boost hospital capacity and is in a key location across
the suburbs. It will also very much fit into the Royal Perth Hospital strategy,
which means that older patientsin particular can
move from Royal Perth and into Mount Lawley as we transition them out of a hospital
setting andinto either a community home or aged-care setting. It is a
vital part of our future.
This is part of our
overall $5.5 billion spend. Whether it is the women's and babies' hospital
down at Murdoch, the contractors having been selected for the new emergency
departments at Royal Perth and Mandurah or the massive hospital rebuilds around
the state—down in Bunbury, up in Geraldton and across the state—it is a record
spend. As Treasurer, I am very proud of the fact that we are putting these
funds into our health infrastructure and health system by building and buying
hospitals for future generations.
Visitors
The Speaker:Just before I give the call to the member
for Cottesloe, I would like to welcome the former member for Balcatta, and
possibly the best member for Balcatta, Nick Catania, up in the gallery today
with some friends. On behalf of all members of the government and especially
the member for Midland, whose dad he is, welcome, Nick; it is good to see you
again.
theTreasurer:I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to ensuring Western Australians can access the
health care they need when they need it. Can the Treasurer please outline to
the house how the Cook Labor government's record investment in health care means
greater capacity in our health system?Ms Rita Saffioti replied:I think I
thank the member for Mount Lawley for that question! Thank you very much.This is an
opportunity to again reinforce that this budget has a huge focus on health. We
heard it from the Minister for Health just before question time. Of course, a
key aspect is in health infrastructure and a record commitment to health
infrastructure around the state. I am glad we heard from the member for
Geraldton because the member for Geraldton seems to miss the fact that we have
built a brand-new hospital in her town. I have never seen anyone who seems to
skip over a key fact, which is that we have built a brand-new hospital—something
that they never delivered despite being in government for eight and a half
years. It has been a Labor government that is delivering a brand-new hospital
in Geraldton.Of course, member
for Mount Lawley, another big announcement was the purchase of the St John of
God Mount Lawley Hospital. This key transaction to purchase this brand-new
hospital has been undertaken through my team and the team of the Minister for
Health Infrastructure. The Minister for Health is very keen to get her hands on
those new beds, which will support activity across the system. The benefit of
buying an existing hospital is that it is there and the beds are there. As a
result, we will get access to another 118 beds, including over 50 additional
beds that have already been bought as part of our winter strategy. This is 118
additional beds, eight operating theatres, two procedure rooms and a number of
other services. It will boost hospital capacity and is in a key location across
the suburbs. It will also very much fit into the Royal Perth Hospital strategy,
which means that older patientsin particular can
move from Royal Perth and into Mount Lawley as we transition them out of a hospital
setting andinto either a community home or aged-care setting. It is a
vital part of our future.This is part of our
overall $5.5 billion spend. Whether it is the women's and babies' hospital
down at Murdoch, the contractors having been selected for the new emergency
departments at Royal Perth and Mandurah or the massive hospital rebuilds around
the state—down in Bunbury, up in Geraldton and across the state—it is a record
spend. As Treasurer, I am very proud of the fact that we are putting these
funds into our health infrastructure and health system by building and buying
hospitals for future generations.VisitorsThe Speaker:Just before I give the call to the member
for Cottesloe, I would like to welcome the former member for Balcatta, and
possibly the best member for Balcatta, Nick Catania, up in the gallery today
with some friends. On behalf of all members of the government and especially
the member for Midland, whose dad he is, welcome, Nick; it is good to see you
again.
State budget 2026–27—Health
276.Mr Frank Paolinoto
theTreasurer:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to ensuring Western Australians can access the
health care they need when they need it. Can the Treasurer please outline to
the house how the Cook Labor government's record investment in health care means
greater capacity in our health system?
Ms Rita Saffioti replied:
I think I
thank the member for Mount Lawley for that question! Thank you very much.
This is an
opportunity to again reinforce that this budget has a huge focus on health. We
heard it from the Minister for Health just before question time. Of course, a
key aspect is in health infrastructure and a record commitment to health
infrastructure around the state. I am glad we heard from the member for
Geraldton because the member for Geraldton seems to miss the fact that we have
built a brand-new hospital in her town. I have never seen anyone who seems to
skip over a key fact, which is that we have built a brand-new hospital—something
that they never delivered despite being in government for eight and a half
years. It has been a Labor government that is delivering a brand-new hospital
in Geraldton.
Of course, member
for Mount Lawley, another big announcement was the purchase of the St John of
God Mount Lawley Hospital. This key transaction to purchase this brand-new
hospital has been undertaken through my team and the team of the Minister for
Health Infrastructure. The Minister for Health is very keen to get her hands on
those new beds, which will support activity across the system. The benefit of
buying an existing hospital is that it is there and the beds are there. As a
result, we will get access to another 118 beds, including over 50 additional
beds that have already been bought as part of our winter strategy. This is 118
additional beds, eight operating theatres, two procedure rooms and a number of
other services. It will boost hospital capacity and is in a key location across
the suburbs. It will also very much fit into the Royal Perth Hospital strategy,
which means that older patientsin particular can
move from Royal Perth and into Mount Lawley as we transition them out of a hospital
setting andinto either a community home or aged-care setting. It is a
vital part of our future.
This is part of our
overall $5.5 billion spend. Whether it is the women's and babies' hospital
down at Murdoch, the contractors having been selected for the new emergency
departments at Royal Perth and Mandurah or the massive hospital rebuilds around
the state—down in Bunbury, up in Geraldton and across the state—it is a record
spend. As Treasurer, I am very proud of the fact that we are putting these
funds into our health infrastructure and health system by building and buying
hospitals for future generations.
Visitors
The Speaker:Just before I give the call to the member
for Cottesloe, I would like to welcome the former member for Balcatta, and
possibly the best member for Balcatta, Nick Catania, up in the gallery today
with some friends. On behalf of all members of the government and especially
the member for Midland, whose dad he is, welcome, Nick; it is good to see you
again.
AnswerView source ↗
⏳
This question is awaiting a response from the Minister.
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