ST JOHN AMBULANCE — SERVICE DELIVERY
278. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Health:
I
refer to the Standing Committee on Public Administration's inquiry into
the delivery of ambulance services in WA. Why is the government considering
terminating the ambulance contract with St John Ambulance when ambulance
ramping is at record highs, code yellows are being called on a daily basis and
our health system is in crisis?
Mr R.H. COOK replied:
The premise of the question is just incorrect.
Ms L. Mettam: You don't consider their
reports?
Mr R.H. COOK: Is the member telling me that we should
not consider a report from one of the parliamentary committees?
Ms L. Mettam: Yes, a Labor-stacked committee.
Several members interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK: There we go, Madam Speaker—the
pathetic depths to which they stoop on the other side. An independent
parliamentary committee is undertaking —
Ms L. Mettam: Independent!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER: Member for Vasse, I caution you about
reflecting on the other house, which is contrary to the standing orders.
Minister for Health.
Mr R.H. COOK: Thank you, Madam Speaker. It was a ridiculous
suggestion and totally inappropriate to reflect on a parliamentary committee in
that way—a committee that I note the member described as ''Labor-stacked'',
as though to have a majority in any
committee is to somehow stack it. This is one of the cornerstones of our democracy,
member for Vasse. If you do not understand that tenet, I am not quite sure what
you are doing in this place in the first place!
St John Ambulance runs an outstanding ambulance service on
behalf of the people of Western Australia. We have the best ambulance response
times of any state in Australia. St John does an extraordinary job. It is not
unusual for an inquiry to be undertaken into
these matters and, if any great learnings come out of it, obviously any
government would take notice of them. Indeed, a previous government
undertook an inquiry into St John Ambulance—the previous Liberal
government, under Hon Kim Hames, in October 2009.