Parliamentary questions
Statement
Hon Michelle Hofmann (8:50 pm): I rise this evening to highlight my disappointment in the government's avoidance of answering questions during question time. I know that I am not alone in being frustrated. I had sincerely hoped that after returning from the winter recess, we might have seen a change in the approach taken by the government. However, what we have seen is continuing themes of obfuscation, particularly in relation to "yes" or "no" questions. "Yes" or "no" questions should really have only two or, at the most, three possible answers—"yes", "no" or simply "I don't know"—but we are not receiving these answers. Today, part (2) of my question to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health was:
Are wait times of 24 hours or more still reported to the Minister for Health?
This was in relation to the wait times in our emergency departments across WA public hospitals for particularly the month of July. Other stats were asked for, but for all the questions I asked, the response was:
It is not possible to answer this in the limited timeframe. I ask the member to please put this on notice.
I do not understand how it is not possible to know whether the health minister is receiving reports of wait times of 24 hours or longer in our emergency departments.
This feels quite surreal. It feels like a joke. In fact, it feels a bit like an episode of Yes Minister or Yes, Prime Minister. I want to give anyone who is not quite familiar with those TV programs an example of why it seems like we are living in them. In season 1, episode 4 of Yes Minister, titled "Big Brother", according to my notes, Bob asked Jim:
Well Minister could we have the answer?
Jim answered:
Well yes, of course, I was just about to give it to you, if I may. Yes as I said I'm glad you asked me that question because it's a question that a lot of people are asking, and quite so, because a lot of people want to know the answer to it. And let's be quite clear about this without beating about the bush the plain fact of the matter is that it is a very important question indeed and people have a right to know.
Bob asks:
Minister, we haven't yet had the answer.
Jim replied:
I'm sorry, what was the question?
Members on the opposite side, I ask that the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health, who I note is out of the chamber on urgent parliamentary business, but perhaps one of his colleagues could pass the message on, please go back to the Minister for Health and seek a simple "yes" or "no" answer to my question.
