Hansard

Bills

Appropriation (Recurrent 2025–26) Bill 2025

Appropriation (Capital 2025–26) Bill 2025

Amendment to motion

Resumed from an earlier stage of the sitting.

Mr Adam Hort (Kalamunda) (2:42 pm): I was speaking about rheumatic heart disease, so I will return to that. In particular, the rheumatic fever strategy funding seems to have disappeared from this budget, which I very much look forward to learn more about. Maybe it is in another budget line somewhere, but it has definitely disappeared. The Commonwealth funding seems to be uncertain, but I hope that the Western Australian Government will pick up this important work. People who have rheumatic heart disease require lifelong medical follow-ups and painful monthly injections of this compound called benzathine benzylpenicillin, which is almost like toothpaste. They miss school; they can miss work; and, unfortunately, they often require open-heart surgery in their teens or in their 20s. Fixing housing sanitation, tracking and supporting patients and administering monthly injections are all part of their treatment plan. They require resources and they require looking after. This is a disease that starts with a sore throat or a sore and ends up in open-heart surgery, and it is entirely preventable. We must do better on rheumatic heart disease.

As a result of an industrial agreement with the Health Services Union WA, the government in 2023 commissioned the independent review of career pathways. It was conducted by a group led by Professor Susan Nancarrow. It was an important time in our health system because it allowed many people, a third of the WA health workforce—the pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, social workers, radiographers, podiatrists, dietitians and many, many more—who are relied upon day after day in our hospital system an opportunity for an update of their career progression in our system. These are things that had been done in many other states, but WA Health had been left behind. Everyone was consulted and the report was completed. It was a lengthy process. But it was never released—no summary, no recommendations, no transparency. Why? These professionals keep our hospitals working and reduce the demand on our emergency departments. The evidence is clear. They support recovery, and people who are ageing, those with mental health conditions, those with disabilities and those who require chronic disease care, yet in this budget we see no funding for allied health workforce reform. The government failed to implement any recommendations from the review, but we would not even know, because the review was not made public; it has been squirrelled away and left a secret. This has left the workforce unheard and unsupported. When the last budget was released, HSUWA rightly asked: What on earth is the government hiding? If we are serious about workforce reform—we need it; the Sustainable Health Review called for it—we need to release the Nancarrow report, fund clear workforce pathways and invest in retention, upskilling and advancing the roles of those in our allied health and health service professions. Anything less is a disservice to the very people who hold our health system together.

This budget talks a big game, Mr Speaker, but it does not deliver. It has plans with no timelines and reports that stay hidden. It leaves out essential services and it ignores preventable diseases that are a blight on our state. Not only is a health budget for the people of Western Australia who receive those services; it is watched closely by the thousands of workers who make the system work. They are the people who sacrifice so much, with unpaid overtime, losing out on family commitments and potentially forgoing further career prospects just because they want to make the system work. The work is hard. They work longer. At the end of the day, the only people that can fix it are you.

I really hope the minister is able to refute some of what I am saying here today and that there are some hidden budget lines I cannot see that will contribute to addressing some of these issues, some of these shortfalls. I really hope the money is found for radiation oncology, because it is just that—it is a money problem. There is a Commonwealth lens to it, but at the end of the day, it is the state government that fixed the issue in the south and it is the state government that can fix the issue in the east and the north. Health budgets are not just about numbers; they are about trust. They are about people and they are about whether we are serious about fixing the cracks before they become chasms. Western Australians deserve a health system that meets them where they are, and one that treats illness, yes, but also prevents it. One that invests not just in bricks and in beds but in the people and programs that make health care work. This budget is not good enough, and I will keep standing up until it is.

Mr Lachlan Hunter (Central Wheatbelt) (2:47 pm): I rise today to support my friend and colleague the regional member for Vasse on this great amendment to what is really a missed opportunity from this state Labor government when it comes to regional healthcare infrastructure and regional health, and when it comes to investing in things that matter over a stadium in Burswood that nobody wants and has no business case.

I note the Deputy Premier's comments yesterday in response to the Leader of the Nationals WA that the National Party is "running down regional Western Australia". That is saying we are not a Third World country in the regions and it is all well and good under the Labor government. But I inform the house of a number of health blunders in regional Western Australia.

I want to start in my electorate of Central Wheatbelt. There is a little town called Cunderdin, which I have spoken about previously. It is in the middle of the electorate, Mr Speaker, and a great place if you ever want to go for a visit on a long weekend, you just follow the Great Eastern Highway and you will run straight into it.

Mr Peter Rundle: The Ettamogah Pub!

Mr Lachlan Hunter: Yes, the Ettamogah Pub is a great place to have a pint of Swan Draught, if you are so inclined.

Cunderdin took a leap of faith with the former Liberal–National government and signed up to a health centre. It showed community leadership, and under the Royalties for Regions program it moved away from the old hospital model to ensure that it received a state-of-the-art 21st century community health centre. As part of that plan, it was promised that, through the WA Country Health Service, there would be purpose-built extensions for overnight care and also palliative care and overnight inpatient beds. I can inform the chamber that in 2025, the community of Cunderdin is still waiting after the revolving doors of health ministers that this government seems to deliver. I would like to hope that the new Minister for Health, who has a country background, might like to update the community. I have written to the minister about the Cunderdin Health Centre and to ensure that the WA Country Health Service has a fully funded purpose-built palliative care and overnight inpatient facility. At the moment, community members have to travel up the road to Northam or go down to Merredin. In extreme cases, they have been put into an ambulance and sent down to Midland. This is a very serious concern. I want to put on the record my thanks to Cunderdin Shire President, Councillor Alison Harris, who has made it her mission to ensure that health care and healthcare delivery services are paramount for the community of Cunderdin. I was looking through the budget papers very carefully, and I could not find where the Cunderdin health service was granted that money. I hope it is within the discretionary funding of WACHS to ensure that those people can absolutely get it. I can ensure members that the people of Cunderdin and the Central Wheatbelt deserve 21st century healthcare services over a racetrack in Burswood that nobody wants.

I want to pick up on the answer that the minister provided in question time on the Albany Health Campus. It was very clear that the people of Albany were told by the then member for Albany that if they elect a Labor government, they will have a health campus by 2027. That was what they said. They made a very clear commitment to the people of Albany. The member for Albany is just taking his seat now. That population centre in our state is growing exponentially. We were in Albany with the National Party team just a number of weeks ago. That community deserves our 21st century health care.

Ms Cassie Rowe: Which is why we promised it, member.

Mr Lachlan Hunter: I will take that interjection from the member for Belmont that she promised it. She did promise it. The government promised it to be delivered by 2027. But, when we opened up the budget papers to ask where the $60 million expansion to the Albany Health Campus was, it was missing! It was not even in the forward estimates. The government says one thing to regional Western Australia and makes election commitments to the people of regional Western Australia, but then these things are not included in the very thing that actually funds them.

I hope in the re-election for the new member for Albany, whoever that may be—I hope it is Mr Leary—that they can be up-front with the people of Albany.

The Speaker: Member, you just need to refer to him as the member for Albany.

Mr Lachlan Hunter: Sorry the member for Albany, Scott Leary—the hopefully re-elected member for Albany.

That was clearly one in the litany of broken promises by this government. It promised $60 million to the people of Albany, and when people were looking for it in the budget paper, it was nowhere to be found—a little bit like the Minister for Agriculture and Food when it comes to regional Western Australia.

The member for Warren–Blackwood raised Margaret River today in question time. It was good that the Minister for Health was on her feet for all the opposition questions today. It goes to show that at its heart, this opposition absolutely cares about health in this country. I know the Deputy Premier was squirming that she did not get any questions from the opposition. The answer that the Minister for Health provided to the member for Warren–Blackwood on Margaret River was quite remarkable. Margaret River has some of the greatest tourism growth, some of the best surf beaches in the world, the best tourism, great wine and great agriculture. I think every member in this place would say that we like to visit Margaret River. The Minister for Health raised Margaret River and basically said the Cook Labor government has the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme and that it will give you some more money to jump in the car and head up to Perth to get your treatment.

Mr Shane Love: Telehealth.

Mr Lachlan Hunter: She said that. She said we have the NBN Sky Muster now or maybe Elon Musk's Starlink and people can jump on telehealth. Say to the people of Margaret River and the Great Southern and South West to just get on telehealth. The Cook Labor government talks about that when it talks about regional health care in our regions.

I was with the member for Roe last Friday in Narrogin. I know the minister for Wheatbelt is not here. For the purposes of Hansard, Narrogin is in the electorate of Roe. It is not in the electorate of the Central Wheatbelt. We had to correct the minister's geography on that particular point. The minister provided a budget speech about delivering the government's vision for the Wheatbelt. It was a two-page or three-page glossy. I could not find anything in there about regional healthcare infrastructure. There was a line about PATS. The government copied and pasted the National Party's policy on PATS but absolutely failed on critical infrastructure. I know my colleague member for Geraldton is going to get up soon to talk about Labor's failed healthcare infrastructure in Geraldton. I am glad the Minister for Health Infrastructure is in the chamber. He better have his listening ears on. I know he has been a frequent flyer to Geraldton recently. He has been going up there. It is clear in the Labor Party's playbook that he has been appointed as the shadow minister for Geraldton. I know that the actual Minister for Mid West galivants up and down to that region often. The Minister for Health Infrastructure should be listening to the people of Geraldton about the failed health infrastructure the government has had nine years to deliver. It has absolutely failed.

Mr Peter Rundle: It is the most delayed project in Western Australia.

Mr Lachlan Hunter: It is the most delayed project in Western Australia.

In conclusion, I will talk about the budget briefing that we received yesterday from the acting Under Treasurer. He gave a slide around health services. It was quite a staggering figure. I know members of the Labor Party love to steal election ideas and budget announcements from their colleagues in Canberra. WA also continues to have the lowest Commonwealth spend on general practitioners per capita of any state in Australia. That is an admission from the state government to their colleagues in Canberra. I hope that the Minister for Health is in regular contact with Minister Butler in Canberra to ask why we have the lowest Commonwealth spend on GPs per capita in any state. I know the Minister for Health has a regional background, so they would appreciate that many of my local governments in the electorate of Central Wheatbelt—there are 28 local governments in the electorate of Central Wheatbelt, a land mass the size of South Korea—are left picking up the bill for their local GP. I remind the Deputy Premier, who is maybe the future Premier, and the Minister for Energy and Decarbonisation, that there is a town in Quairading. People will recall that Quairading paid over $1 million of ratepayer funds to have a doctor in town. How is that right in the 21st century in Australia? This government is bursting at the seams with surpluses, and country communities have to be providing their own doctor and spend ratepayer funds on a doctor. These are things people in metropolitan areas take for granted.

I conclude my remarks and put on the record this government's disgraceful track record on regional health and its wrong priorities.

Mr Liam Staltari (Carine) (2:58 pm): I rise to make a brief contribution on the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party's reasoned amendment and I thank her for raising it. I will speak with my shadow Minister for Early Childhood hat on about early childhood health outcomes, which I know the member addressed in part in her contribution.

Before I jump into that, I could not help after question time making a quick observation. The amendment goes to priorities. I think we saw a live exercise in this government's priorities during question time. We learned a few days ago that the government somehow forgot $14 million for women's health centres in its budget, stonewalled with an answer for a few days and after a few days in question time extracted the line that actually it was provisioning for planning. But, a few days in, it realised it did not have to do much planning or, allegedly, the planning is done. The planning must have been done at a very quick pace, maybe in the form of a few hurried phone calls between chiefs of staff late at night. We can only speculate, but I think in a classic style, for a government that goes so slowly on so many of the things mentioned by previous speakers, if you put on the right amount of media pressure and a bad headline, jeez, that is the priority for the government of spin.

What I will focus on, as I mentioned, is a topic I know every member will agree on, which is the genuine importance of ensuring that early childhood health outcomes for some of the most vulnerable and important members of our society are lifted up wherever possible. In introducing this amendment, the member spoke to some of the challenges the community sees right now. The average wait time for a paediatrician is two years or more for some of the key specialties that families are living in limbo waiting for, despite so many of the resources available to this state. We know that our child development services, which does an amazing job, need more support. In the last term of Parliament, the government had to be dragged kicking and screaming to stand up a Select Committee on Child Development Services. Hon Donna Faragher, now having left the Parliament, did an astounding job with community leaders and concerned parents with petition after petition, and finally the government brought on that select committee, as it should have. I note with concern that so many of the recommendations of that outstanding work have not been acted on. So often when asking the government about those recommendations on how we can improve child development services, we do not see an answer. We see the outcome though, which is that ballooning paediatric wait time—two years on average for many of those services.

I will just dovetail because that ties in with this government's neglect of a related and very important service, which is child and parent centres. They have an educational lens but they absolutely have a health lens as well. For those who do not know what child and parent centres (CPC) do, they give holistic support, they help young parents and they assist with the development of young children and newborns. We on this side are very proud that the last Liberal–National government presided over 21 CPCs operating across the state—an amazing service still used today. There were 21 when we left office in 2017. Eight years later, we have a racetrack on the way. The rugby deal is locked in. In eight years, how many new child and parent centres has this government added? It is one. We have gone from 21 to 22, which is a remarkable increase. The population has increased in that time—the Minister for Police noted that—but the CPC offering has barely lifted. Is it any wonder then, again, that we see in the outcomes a precipitous slide in too many early childhood development outcomes?

A few weeks ago, the Australian Early Development Census was released—a fantastic resource, brilliant for capturing trends. The AEDC tracks five key measures members may be interested to know. I encourage them to take a look. It is good reading. It is interesting reading. It is nationwide. Physical health and wellbeing is one of those five key mediums, but there are others: social competence, emotional maturity and so on. I note with pride that under the last Liberal–National government, the proportion of children starting school who were deemed developmentally vulnerable in one of those five categories—in other words, the number of kids deemed to be vulnerable in those key categories—went down consistently over the term because of strong investment in child and parent centres and child development centres, yet unfortunately the early development census reinforced that for the last seven years, on a certain government's watch, we have seen that trend reverse. Unfortunately, the number of children deemed developmentally vulnerable in those key domains has spiked, in particular in the last three years. Why? To the member's amendment, it is because of wrong priorities. It is for that reason I stand in support of the amendment. I hope that we absolutely see a shift to the right priorities in the hopes that some of those outcomes improve in the future.

Ms Kirrilee Warr (Geraldton) (3:03 pm): I rise today to speak in support of the recent amendment. The budget confirms that the Labor Party is still playing catch-up on projects promised up to eight years ago. Although some first-year investments exist, more regional health projects have been kicked further down the line or ignored altogether.

The 2025–26 state budget lays bare the priorities of this Labor government and they are seriously misaligned. Although Labor has locked in $217 million for the new Burswood Entertainment and Sporting Precinct—a city-centric project in Perth's inner suburbs—regional health services remain starved of investment, stuck in limbo or better still, not even there. The one line item alone for a stadium precinct is greater than the combined funding for major regional hospital upgrades across many regional healthcare initiatives and projects.

Let me be very clear. The people of Geraldton and surrounding communities are not asking for a sporting precinct. They are asking for hospital beds, for a working emergency department and for timely cancer treatment and they are still waiting. Let us look at Geraldton Health Campus. I have spoken about that previously here, actually in one of the very first speeches I made in this chamber. Promised in 2017 and now eight and a half years on, we are told it might finally be finished in early 2026 but the community is rightly sceptical. There have been years of delays and bungled tender processes. Let us not forget, it was named by the Office of the Auditor General as the most delayed project that this government has seen. The budget has blown out from $73 million to $166 million, yet, despite these extra costs, it still does not deliver more beds, one of our region's most pressing needs. More money does not equal more beds or more buildings.

I have heard firsthand from patients and staff about people waiting hours, even days, on stretchers in corridors or makeshift rooms with no privacy or proper facilities. Geraldton is the largest centre north of Perth, a hub for the entire Mid West yet, by the time this overdue redevelopment opens, it will already be overloaded and underdone.

Then there is the radiation oncology unit, a commitment I made during the election and have continued to fight for ever since. While Labor eventually came through with a $21 million election commitment, nearly on the eve of the election mind you, we now find ourselves in a budget black hole of confusion. On one hand, the Minister for Health Infrastructure has been boasting publicly about the $30 million world-class facility. It is just here, in a media statement. I will give him one because he was up-front and honest. The minister did say it was only $1 million in the first year, which we can find in the budget—$1 million for planning. Let us not deny, as the Minister for Health said today, planning is important when we are undertaking these new projects. We will not deny that at all. Kudos to the minister for being up-front about that, but to deliver this world-class facility beyond that one year, looking further out across the line item, there is a total of just $9 million allocated in the out years. Where is the rest? That $9 million is a commitment made by the federal government in 2019. I will happily be assisted, if need be, to focus on the line items I need to be looking at but, in my consideration of the budget today, I cannot find anything further. It is not just the dollars that matter here, it is the lives. Since 2020, hundreds of Mid West patients have made thousands of trips to Perth for radiotherapy. That is many hours on the road or in the air, hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars in Patient Assisted Travel Scheme subsidies and an untold emotional burden on families already enduring one of life's toughest battles. The case for a local oncology unit is not disputable, yet the government's commitment is still on paper only and in the fine print of a future year that never seems to come.

Then there is the Mullewa Health Centre, another disgraceful example of the regional neglect. It is startling, and more startling because I think today I may have woken up from my amnesia, miraculously cured! I remembered the years I spent on the Mid West Development Commission, sitting around the table with colleagues and the WA Country Health Service poring over plans, reviewing community inputs and helping to shape strategic projects like Mullewa Health Centre. The projects were about meeting real people's needs and building long-term resilience in our community. We did not just dream this up overnight. It was part of a deliberate regional development strategy, one that respected and reflected the voices of the people. Let me go over some of the facts. I was able to retrieve a media release dated March 2016.

Mr Lachlan Hunter: You don't have amnesia then?

Ms Kirrilee Warr: I distinctly remember the then Minister for Health and Minister for Regional Development, Hon Kim Hames and Hon Terry Redman, visiting Geraldton and making this announcement. Mullewa Health Centre was a project announced by the former Liberal–National government in the $500 million Southern Inland Health Initiative. There was a clearly articulated service model. This project was shaped through community consultation and led by the WA Country Health Service. The media statement here in my hand proudly stated that the new health centre would be "fit-for-purpose", meet contemporary health standards and better reflect the needs of the local community. That was nearly a decade ago, but when Labor came into government in 2017, the project was shelved, funding was quietly withdrawn and the community was left in the dark.

It took until this year, 2025, for the tender process to close. Once again, there is no construction funding in this budget—just another promise pushed to the outer years or conveniently forgotten. Has the Minister for Health Infrastructure been to Mullewa recently, if at all? If the minister has not yet made that trip, I welcome him to do so. The message he left on my office phone late one Friday afternoon as he was likely—conveniently—heading to the airport, stated that he would consider making —

Several members interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Members! Members, I will start calling people to order.

Several members interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Members! Minister!

Several members interjected.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs Lorna Clarke): Please, members! This always seems to happen at three o'clock. I feel like blood sugar levels are low. Can I encourage everyone to have a coffee. Member for Geraldton, please continue.

Ms Kirrilee Warr: Minister, I am happy to give you my private mobile number in those instances.

The Minister for Health Infrastructure stated that he would consider making time to catch up with me the next time he is in Geraldton. I am more than happy to welcome him to Geraldton and help him fulfil this commitment. As a local, I know many roads to Mullewa. I would be delighted to give the minister a personal tour of the electorate.

People in the regions have long memories. They remember what was planned, what was promised and who took it away. A case in point is the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia's Mid West – Geraldton base, which is absolutely critical to emergency medical care across our region. Again, it has been overlooked. I am talking about one of the most trusted and essential health services in Australia, yet the government will not commit one cent to secure its long-term presence in our region. During the last state election, a $7.5 million commitment was made by the Labor government to establish a permanent RFDS base in Geraldton. This was not just a vague promise, it was a specific costed commitment. The RFDS is not optional, and it is not a luxury. It is the only thing standing between a medical emergency and a tragic outcome in many parts of the Mid West and rural and regional Australia. RFDS aircraft provide urgent retrievals, inter-hospital transfers and vital logistical support for patients across thousands of kilometres, yet in the 2025–26 state budget, there is no funding in the forward estimates, no planning, and not even a line item acknowledging this commitment. The RFDS Mid West base is still operating from Jandakot. It is doing many retrievals. The second highest number of retrievals in Western Australia come from the Mid West, because Geraldton remains one of the only major regional centres in WA with a purpose-built, co-located patient transfer station. This failure is more than just an administrative oversight; it is another example of this government walking away from regional health commitments as soon as the election was over.

We are not asking for anything extravagant. We are asking for the bare minimum, which is for the government to honour and respect the role of the RFDS and provide it with the base it needs to continue saving lives in our region. If we compare that with the $217 million that is going towards an entertainment and sporting precinct at Burswood, the message is unmistakable. People in the city get funding fast but those in the bush are made to wait or worse, are forgotten entirely.

The people of Geraldton, Mullewa and the wider Mid West do not want a flashy headline. They want health services that work, infrastructure that lasts and investment that matches promises. This budget could have been the turning point, but it is not; rather, it is another missed opportunity and another case of shiny Perth projects taking precedence over essential regional services. There appears to be a pattern here—a deliberate choice to delay and defund regional health while prioritising inner-city infrastructure. The government's priorities are wrong, and the people of regional Western Australia know it. It is time for this government to deliver what it promised. It is time for it to stop pushing regional health care to the back of the budget and it is time to show respect for the communities that are the backbone of this state. Regional WA deserves better.

Ms Meredith Hammat (Girrawheen—Minister for Health) (3:14 pm): I am very pleased to have an opportunity to talk about the work that we are doing in health because we are doing an enormous amount. I have listened to a number of opposition speakers talk about health. People have short memories, because I remember how it was during the former Liberal–National government.

Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Member for Churchlands.

Ms Meredith Hammat: I remember how it was when the Liberal and National Parties were last in power.

Several members interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Members, given that it is a quarter past three in the afternoon, there has been a lot of commentary and I am going to ask that people do not call out across the chamber on every single line of the minister's speech. Members on my left have been given an opportunity to speak to the amendment. It is now time to hear from the minister.

Ms Meredith Hammat: Members opposite come in here to talk about health, but the people of Western Australia understand that they cannot trust a Liberal–National government with health. That is a fact.

Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Member for Churchlands! I will start calling people. I have already set out the expectations during this sugar lull in the afternoon after three o'clock. Minister, please.

Ms Meredith Hammat: People in the community know that they cannot trust —

Several members interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Members! This goes across the board this afternoon.

Ms Meredith Hammat: —a Liberal–National government with health, because it never does the right thing. The track record of Liberal–National governments speak volumes about it priorities. The people of Western Australia—and, indeed, the people of Australia—judge them time and time again because when they have had the opportunity to make decisions about the health care of ordinary people, they cannot be trusted to do the right thing.

Let us not forget what happened to health care in this state when the Liberals and Nationals were last in power. I have not forgotten. One of the things that motivated me to put my hand up for Parliament was the absolutely appalling state of public services in this state as a result of the years of the conservative government in Western Australia. It was such a woeful effort on behalf of those opposite that it galvanised me to seek public office. The people of Western Australia deserve much better than what they have ever had when those opposite sit on the Treasury bench. That is a fact.

Members opposite, with the exception of, perhaps, the member for Vasse and the member for Mid-West, were not here during the last Liberal–National government, so they come in here as though it has nothing to do with it, but the reality is that this is what they have signed up for. It is who they are, and the people of WA know that. These are the parties that could not open Perth Children's Hospital. Why could they not open Perth Children's Hospital? It was because there was lead in the pipes.

Several members interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Members!

Several members interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Members!

Ms Meredith Hammat: They could not open it because there was lead in the pipes and asbestos in the ceiling at Perth Children's Hospital. Who opened the hospital? The Labor government opened the hospital. We opened the hospital because we understand the importance of sorting those things out.

It is also important to reflect on what the former Liberal–National government did in privatising hospital services around this state—scandalous decisions to privatise hospital services at Fiona Stanley Hospital and Peel Health Campus. Again, it took a Labor government to recognise that those services deliver better quality and better cost when they are in public hands. I am very proud to be a part of a government that has brought services back in-house, including Peel Health Campus, because that is how to deliver quality public services and care for Western Australians.

These are the people who closed the emergency department at Fremantle Hospital. What did they do to TAFE fees? Today we heard about the workforce. I will tell the opposition what its contribution was to the health workforce. It jacked up TAFE fees in key areas that we need, including health, by 500% in some cases. It has taken years to recover from that. It disenfranchised a range of people from going to TAFE and getting the critical skills we need. Again, it took a Labor government to fix that by introducing fee-free TAFE.

It is a bit rich for members opposite to come in here and talk about health as though somehow their record on health is something Western Australian people would hold up as something to aspire to. The facts are that people understand that Liberal–National governments never prioritise health for people. It is important to remember—how could I forget—its shameful record with Midland "public" hospital when it contracted out the service and denied women access to termination services. Opposition members come in here wanting to talk about women's health but that is their legacy.

Much has been made in the contributions today about the work that we are doing with the entertainment precinct as though somehow governments cannot do more than one thing at a time. That really underlines the difference between our side of politics and that of those opposite. We are very proud—

Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Member for Churchlands, my position still stands. I will start calling people.

Ms Meredith Hammat: We are very proud of our ability to do more than one thing at once. We have been able to fix the appalling state of finances that the opposition left when it was last in government and make record investments into the things that the people of Western Australia care about, such as health, education and public transport. The Premier has been very clear over and again that the priorities of our government are jobs, health and housing. The Perth entertainment and sporting precinct is one part of our strategy to diversify the economy and create jobs. We are also delivering record investments into other areas of importance, including health. That is what I want to talk about in the time I have available today. The 2025–26 state budget delivers a $1.4 billion funding boost to Western Australia's health system. Members, that is a 61% increase in health spending since 2016–17. It means $15.7 billion in increased funding since 2021 alone. With per capita hospital spending, we are 15% above the national average.

I want to talk about the work we are doing. We heard during contributions today about hospitals. Fortunately, we also heard about health in the community. One of the things we will continue to focus on, along with health systems right around the world, is how we can deliver health care in a range of ways to meet the needs of the population. We are reducing pressures on our emergency departments. We are also increasing hospital bed capacity and treating more people at home or in the community. I am very proud of the work we are doing in this respect. Things like the WA virtual emergency department (WAVED) are important initiatives that we are committed to increasing. The WA virtual emergency department has already seen great results. We extended it recently so callers to healthdirect Australia can also access it. It has been operating for some time. Since it has been running, 72% of people have been diverted from our emergency departments. It provides people with an opportunity to get a consultation in their own home with a specialist—a consultation that is deemed to be medically appropriate. Often people are able to access that care and access that consultation in the comfort of their own home rather than going to an emergency department. We get great feedback about it. It not only obviously reduces stress on our emergency departments, but also reduces stress on patients as they are able to access care in a more convenient and appropriate fashion.

This budget also includes a commitment to our older adult care hubs, another way that we are delivering appropriate care in the community where people need it most. We know that we have an ageing population. I have already spoken about that in this place. That is one of the things that is having an impact on our emergency departments and on our hospital system. We have an ageing population. We also have a growing population because who would not want to live in Western Australia where we have such excellent economic success? These hubs are a way of providing services to older Western Australians who need care. Again, emergency departments are not necessarily the best place for them. They do not need the high-level acuity care available in an emergency department but they do need care. Our government is committed to rolling out those services. We are very excited to be able to deliver alternative support for people.

We are improving care and we are improving patient outcomes. We are very proud of the work we have done to introduce nurse–patient ratios, something that the nurses union has been asking for for some time but, again, it took a Labor government to deliver it. Today we announced the ADHD support package as part of this budget, so money will be available to deliver training to GPs so they can diagnose and prescribe for people aged over 10 years who have ADHD. There is also money in the budget for ADHD WA so it can continue to provide support and care for children and their families.

I also want to talk a little about regional care because it is important. We live in the biggest health jurisdiction in in the world, covering 2.5 million square kilometres. It is an enormous challenge to ensure that people have appropriate care. The WA Country Health Service is doing an incredible amount of work to make sure that people have access to care. It is a world leader in the delivery of telehealth. We should be incredibly proud of the work that they are doing. I have had the opportunity to visit the State Health Operations Centre, which is co-located with the WA Country Health Service, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and St John WA and see the way those teams are working together, enabled by technology, because we are modernising our healthcare system and see the work they are able to coordinate to ensure that people get the care they need. This is a really important part of the work we are doing.

We talked earlier in question time about Hospital in the Home. People might want to dismiss that but they are missing some of the most important initiatives in our health system. Again, this is an important part of making sure that people are getting access to care, often in their home. We have already been delivering this program and we have allocated additional money in this budget to expand that program. That will mean that people can get appropriate care in their home. It will also allow us to discharge patients earlier because they will continue to have care once they go home. Not everyone needs to be in the high acuity setting of a hospital. In fact, for many people, being in hospital is not the best place for them at all. For example, it is better for older people to be in an environment that is familiar and less hospital-like but one where they get the care they need. This is the important point. All the initiatives that we are rolling out are clinically appropriate. They are not just being implemented in this jurisdiction but, indeed, all around the world. I have said on a number of occasions that we will look at everything we can do to make sure that Western Australians have access to health care, and we will continue to do that. We will make sure we do that. That does not and it cannot involve just building hospitals. People need to understand the complex environment we are in—

Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt.

Ms Meredith Hammat: People need to recognise that no modern health system in the world is ignoring all the other opportunities that exist and new opportunities that will no doubt come for us to deliver appropriate care no matter where people are.

I want to touch on a few other things in the budget before I run out of time. We are looking at doing a range of different things, and the workforce is a key part of that. I was really interested to hear the contributions about the workforce, as though those on the other side ever ensured that the workforce was well looked after. Again, one of the motivators for me to come into this place was how poorly public sector workers had been treated time and time again.

Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs Lorna Clarke): Member for Central Wheatbelt, I call you for the first time.

Ms Meredith Hammat: They had been treated appallingly—

The Acting Speaker: You were warned. Don't look shocked.

Ms Meredith Hammat: Public sector workers had been treated appallingly by Liberal–National governments time and again. That is why this budget includes money to expand the pharmacist's scope of practice so that we can encourage pharmacists to be involved in providing prescriptions. We have already trialled that for urinary tract infections and with the oral contraceptive pill. In this budget, we will provide support to be able to do even more of that. One of the things that is important in our healthcare service is making sure that people are working to their full scope of practice and that we are providing the services they need.

We have also allocated funding to the GP ASK pilot program to allow GPs to have the opportunity to speak to a specialist on behalf of their patient. That will speed up the feedback to GPs and improve access to care for patients, saving time and money once it is implemented, without necessarily booking appointments with a specialist.

I want to say a few brief words about regional health. I note that in all this discussion, sadly little has been included about mental health. We are really proud of the work we are doing in mental health. We have provided $39.5 million to Ngala to support its residential program. We are also investing in regional mental health with $13.8 million for the Bunbury mental health acute care and response team, which is focused on young people and children. We are providing $12.4 million for the Great Southern drug and alcohol rehab centre. Importantly, we are investing in things like the Infant Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service hub for rural and remote support, particularly where there are children in regional Western Australia who have complex needs and require access to very specialised care.

There are a range of other things in this budget. I know that the Minister for Health Infrastructure wants to talk about our huge infrastructure investment. We are investing in services. We are looking at all the things we can do to deliver care closer to home, where people live. We are looking at the range of things we can do to build the capacity of the system, as soon as we can and as fast as we can, to meet the growing demands in our system. In addition, we are providing a record $3.2 billion in infrastructure investment.

I cannot finish without referring to our decision to increase the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme, because I know it gives such joy to those opposite to know that it was a Labor government that delivered the increase to 40c per kilometre. That stands in stark contrast with what members opposite did when they were in government. They can look as smug as they want about it, but the fact is that it has taken a Labor government to increase that scheme so that people get additional investments.

We are doing a whole range of things. We are investing money into and looking at all the things we can do to make sure that people get access to appropriate care—care that is closer to home, care in the community and preventative care, to stop them from getting sick in the first place. That underlines why we have structured the health portfolio in the way we have. We have a health infrastructure minister focused on delivering that infrastructure and a Minister for Aged Care and Seniors who is absolutely focused on finding solutions to the fact that we have an ageing population and that being in hospital is not the best setting for many of them. We will continue to look at what more we can do and I am very proud of the work we are doing for the health system of this state.

Mr John Carey (Perth—Minister for Health Infrastructure) (3:33 pm): In response to this motion, it is quite extraordinary how the opposition rewrites history. The Leader of the National Party spruiked Perth Children's Hospital and the mess that was left as part of that project, including legal disputes and the lead. What a badge of honour for any government—to marvel over a project that had asbestos in it, in the 21st century. This is the point, which we see all the time from members of the opposition: when it is convenient, they refer to their past. They are very happy to refer to the stadium and other projects. Some of them are happy to refer to the previous government's economic management. Others, like the member for Nedlands, has totally trashed it. The opposition does not know where it stands on economic management with the Liberals and Nationals but the opposition cannot have it both ways. It cannot in every second speech refer to things it did in the previous Liberal–National government and turn around and say, "If, but, if, but, if, but we will ignore all the legacy items of that government." Opposition members either have to claim it all or not claim it, but they cannot have it both ways. They cannot say that they built the stadium but also say, "By the way, we have nothing to do with the children's hospital. The mess that was created is not our legacy." We see that inconsistency in debate on a regular basis.

I note the attacks. The most galling attacks are from the member for Vasse on Royal Perth Hospital. Talk about forgetting what happened there. I will give members another example. The member for Vasse is happy to refer to an obscure media release at the end of the previous Liberal–National government, but will not refer to the history of Royal Perth Hospital under the Liberals and Nationals. It is an iconic building and hospital. In 2008, Colin Barnett pledged $600 million to redevelop Royal Perth Hospital. No-one makes that kind of commitment, pronouncement or investment without believing it will be delivered, but by 2016, that $600 million had disappeared into some maintenance work. Colin Barnett thought it was appropriate to build the stadium, and the stadium is a good asset, but he did not think it was appropriate to commit to a $600 million investment for Royal Perth Hospital. That was his decision. He made that decision. The former government dragged its feet for eight years on Royal Perth Hospital.

At the last election, the opposition produced an AI image. I have no doubt it was an AI image. I think it went to an AI ChatGPT and said, "Please give me a vision of a new Royal Perth Hospital." Whoever did it, member for Vasse: do not use AI to generate images.

Several members interjected.

Mr John Carey: It clearly needed medical assistance. I do love AI images, because they are always obscure people who we never see in Perth. I do not know where they come from.

Several members interjected.

Mr John Carey: Or I might call myself lucky.

Several members interjected.

Mr John Carey: I thought that was quite a good joke, actually.

Today in a press conference I was asked about a man who was letting go in Mount Hawthorn on the front lawn—

Several members interjected.

Mr John Carey: He was doing number twos. He was caught on camera. I was also asked about Donald Trump swearing. It was a great time today at the press conference.

I note that the Liberal Party's commitment for Royal Perth Hospital in the first four years was for headworks or groundworks. We have been attacked because we are doing the detailed planning right now. We have a clear financial commitment for Royal Perth Hospital. We are being attacked, whereas the opposition's commitment was that in the first four years it would do some groundworks and the building would happen in the next term. That is what it took to the election. I will pull out the policy. That is what it took to the election. It is ironic for the opposition to call out the delivery of projects when it took a very specific commitment to the community that said, "Hey, we have no intention of delivering Royal Perth Hospital until a second term."

We had the member for Geraldton—I have to admit, it was a spirited defence—pull out a media statement at the end of eight years and say, "Look, we're delivering something for Mullewa." Just to explain advocacy to the member for Geraldton: just because a member asks a question in the chamber, it does not mean that they have actually created an outcome. It is akin to the current Leader of the Liberal Party claiming credit for the Edith Cowan University campus in his election material, when actually the deal was done and signed before he became the mayor, and that is the truth.

Mr Basil Zempilas: It wouldn't happen without me, minister!

Mr John Carey: It was all that traffic management work! I have to say, when it comes to traffic management, the member for Nedlands is your man.

Mr Lachlan Hunter: Nedlands?

Mr John Carey: The member for Churchlands. Let us be very clear: the member for Geraldton held up one media statement. This is a serious question for the member for Geraldton. Can the member please tell me right now: What did the National–Liberal government do to invest in the Geraldton Health Campus in eight years? What was the major investment?

Ms Kirrilee Warr: We committed to it.

Mr John Carey: No, in the last government, over eight years, what did that government do for the Geraldton Health Campus?

Several members interjected.

Mr John Carey: Here is the interesting thing. Members opposite say they are going to bring it, but they are not even informed. I will inform them: it did nothing. The most significant developments of the Geraldton Health Campus have been by the Gallop government and now the Cook Labor government. There is a spend of $188 million on Geraldton Health Campus. This is incredible—$188 million. The member for Geraldton thinks she has got me. She has one media release, and I asked her just then what the previous government spent in its legacy. We heard the Leader of the National Party claim full credit for the children's hospital disaster. When the member for Geraldton is asked, "What did you do? What did you deliver?", she cannot say anything, and do members know why? It is because that is the truth. They did not deliver.

Mr Shane Love: That is not true.

Mr John Carey: You funded major redevelopments, did you?

Mr Shane Love: We funded the development of the cancer treatment centre.

Mr John Carey: A major redevelopment, $188 million. I mean, seriously! Then we have a $471 million investment for Bunbury Hospital. That is the largest regional hospital development in the state's history—$471 million.

I note the commentary of the member for Cottesloe—who is not here—who attacked us and said, "You shouldn't be doing these big civil contracts." She says we should not be doing any of this $3.2 billion health infrastructure. She quoted Paul Blackburne. I get along with Paul Blackburne, but his view is we should not be doing some of these big hospital civic projects. He does not believe it. Clearly, from the commentary the member for Cottesloe made on the budget yesterday, she also does not believe that we should fund major civic projects in health. My question for the member for Cottesloe is: Which ones are you going to chop? Which ones are you going to cut and get rid of? Because that is the argument from Paul Blackburne; that is the argument that Sandra Brewer, the member for Cottesloe, adopted yesterday; so what projects are they going to cut?

Also, they want it both ways. They criticise us for delivering projects and then they criticise us for cost escalations. The reality is that in this heated construction market, particularly for regional projects, unfortunately, when we have limited or no tenders or just one tender, we work through those processes, but it creates challenges in the system and means that we have cost escalations, like we did for Bunbury. Is the member for Cottesloe suggesting that I should not complete the project? Is the suggestion that, as a state government, we should not make that investment? The same goes for the member for Geraldton's criticisms about the cost escalations for Geraldton Health Campus. If members opposite take that line of argument and say, "You shouldn't be accepting it. You shouldn't have this scenario", are they saying that we should not do the project? It just does not make any sense at all to anyone who understands the current heated construction market for both housing and hospitals. I have to say this: hospital construction is more complex. It needs to meet design requirements, ensure consultation with clinicians and meet required standards, which can change as building is underway. These are all complexities of construction.

We are delivering the project in Mullewa. It is being delivered by a Cook Labor government, not a Liberal–National government, which had eight years last time around and did not do anything. It produced a media statement—congratulations; here is your certificate. It gets a pat on the head, "There's your certificate".

Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.

Mr John Carey: The Muppets are off again! The Muppets are starting. Can I say, I think that the opposition reminds me of The Muppet Show. Do members not think there are a few characters here? Right at the front, we have Statler and Waldorf, the old, very grumpy guys. Right behind, we have Miss Piggy, the member for Central Wheatbelt—the well-known diva of the Muppets! Drama here, drama there, there is Central Wheatbelt.

Mr Basil Zempilas: If I get Gonzo, it's out of order!

Mr John Carey: You do get Gonzo!

Several members interjected.

Mr John Carey: Can I describe Gonzo to members? Members may think this reminds them of the Leader of the Opposition. According to wiki, Gonzo has an eccentric passion for stunt performance. That is the Leader of the Liberal Party! We have the member for Kalamunda; he is Kermit. He does not know whether he is green or blue! He professes—did members hear his maiden speech?—"I'm really green, but blue! I'm really green, but blue!"

I have to say this. The member for Cottesloe is not here. I will describe this:

A hapless lab assistant to Bunsen, who performs ill-fated experiments which often result in him becoming the victim and seriously injured.

That is Beaker, and I would think, after the WhatsApp fiasco, the only person who could be Beaker would be the member for Cottesloe. But—seriously! They carry on like pork chops.

Mr Lachlan Hunter: Pork chops?

Mr John Carey: Pork chops. I note that I referred to the member for Central Wheatbelt as Miss Piggy. There is no sexism there at all.

We are delivering a vast number of initiatives, and Royal Perth Hospital is one of them. We are doing the detailed planning now for a $97.3 million investment in the redevelopment of the emergency department, but members need to understand that it is a 24/7 live emergency department. Right now, we are also undertaking a significant expansion upgrade to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. I have visited the site. It is complex because, unlike other projects, in situations whereby there are 24/7 live operations, particularly within an emergency department, the approach and the consideration for these types of developments is very significant. It has to be phased and staged. Again, there is strong consultation with clinicians. That investment is a demonstration of our commitment to one of our iconic institutions. Of course, we have also made a very clear commitment to St John of God Midland Public Hospital, and, of course, that commitment has been matched by the federal government. We welcome that commitment. That represents a significant corridor to the east. We have made the commitment to Albany Health Campus. We will continue to do the detailed planning for the delivery of these projects.

I note the things we have done in the past, including the brand-new Newman Health Service and the Albany radiation oncology service. They also include upgrades at Collie, Dongara, Boddington and Wongan Hills. The Minister for Health during the COVID pandemic had to rapidly respond with modular wards at Bunbury, Rockingham, Osborne Park and Bentley Health Campus, so there has been all that infrastructure work. Of course, that is in addition to all the other elements that the Minister for Health referred to, which is about actively preventing people from attending our emergency departments.

Other projects are underway right now, like Fremantle's mental health bed expansion and the ones that I have talked about and am really proud of. I have to say this sincerely: it is Labor governments that fund expansions into the north in relation to renal services. Was the minister there? I think she was—no. I visited the Fitzroy Crossing renal unit and spoke with the staff there. We are doing an $8.6 million expansion, which will significantly expand the capability of the services there. I am proud of the significant work across this state.

I come back to this: opposition members cannot have it both ways. They cannot refer to just part elements of the history of their previous government. That is the legacy they rest on in their speeches. We see it all the time. They carefully select—or sometimes not carefully select, Acting Speaker—and pick and choose what they feel is convenient to remember. But they forget all the elements—apart from the member for Nedlands, who said that the Liberals had the most woeful and terrible financial management. Everyone else forgets about the legacy that was left, and matters like Perth Children's Hospital, that we had to resolve and fix.

We will continue to focus on the delivery of major hospitals, redevelopments, major upgrades and expansions, even down to those smaller projects. There will be $1 million to upgrade air conditioning at Kalbarri Health Centre. The smaller upgrades are important. We will continue to deliver that ambitious infrastructure agenda.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs Lorna Clarke): Thank you, minister, and thank you to those on my left for taking part in that speech in the spirit in which it was intended.

Division

Amendment put and a division taken, the Acting Speaker (Lorna Clarke) casting her vote with the noes, with the following result:

Ayes (12)Noes (34)

Amendment thus negatived.

Mr Mark Folkard (Mindarie) (3:57 pm): I rise with a profound sense of pride and optimism as I present the highlights of the Cook Labor government's 2025–26 budget. It is a budget that not only reflects our commitment to the people in this great state but also lays the foundation for a brighter and more secure future. In a time when many families are facing financial pressures, we are taking decisive action with an unprecedented investment of $963 million for family cost-of-living relief. This funding will provide essential support for families through student assistance payments, household battery rebates and cheaper public transport. We understand that by easing the final financial burden on families, we empower them to thrive and contribute to our vibrant community.

Furthermore, we are making a historic commitment to our mental health systems, with $1.4 billion earmarked for a significant boost to the health industries. This investment will not only enhance hospital services and infrastructure but also ensure that mental health support is accessible to all who need it. We are prioritising the wellbeing of my constituents, recognising that a healthy community is the cornerstone of a prosperous society.

I am proud to announce that we have achieved a $2.5 billion surplus. It is a testament to our responsible fiscal management and our commitment to economic growth. Our net debt stands at a remarkable level of 7.5% of the gross state product—the lowest in the nation—underscoring our position as a leader in sound financial governance. This surplus allows us to invest in the priorities that matter most to my constituents.

Safety remains a paramount concern for every community. This budget reflects our unwavering commitment to keeping our neighbourhoods safe and secure. We have been investing $1.1 billion towards making our communities safer, which includes a significant boost to frontline child protection services and vital investments in the Western Australia Police Force. Our citizens deserve to feel safe.

Debate interrupted, pursuant to standing orders.

(Continued at a later stage of the sitting.)