HEALTH SERVICES
949. Ms J.M. FREEMAN to the Minister for Health:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to keeping Western Australia
safe and strong and ensuring that
patients get the high-quality treatment that they need. Can the minister update
the house on how this government's legislative reforms are
ensuring that patients are put first and are provided with dignified
high-quality health care?
Mr R.H.
COOK replied:
I thank the member for the question.
It is an area of government service delivery that she is highly committed to,
and I very much thank her for the question. Despite the global pandemic, the
McGowan government has continued to work hard on its legislative commitments to
the people of Western Australia. Through this hard work, we have seen a range
of legislation go through this place that I think has placed the needs of
patients front and centre. In particular, the future health research and
innovation fund legislation uses the interest from the Western Australian
Future Fund to improve health research, commercialisation and innovation. The
passing of this legislation is a win for
health and medical research and the innovation sector in Western Australia.
Through health and medical research, innovation
and commercialisation, we will find new and better ways to treat and prevent
disease and create healthier communities. We are building a workforce of
excellence. We are diversifying our economy. We are making sure that patients
receive the very best health care by taking advantage of the great medical research
that is taking place in this state. Medical
research in Western Australia is in a very poor state. We receive a very small
proportion of the national medical
research funding. It is important that we utilise this funding to make sure
that we can improve the lives of Western Australians by having more
medical research, commercialisation and other work in the innovation sector
take place in Western Australia.
Amendments were made to the Public
Health Act and the School Education Act through the Public Health Amendment
(Immunisation Requirements for Enrolment) Act, otherwise known as the no jab,
no play legislation. This is groundbreaking
legislation that all states committed themselves to. It is about making sure
that we can better support young families who have children entering the
education system by ensuring that they get the support they need to ensure that their kids are fully
vaccinated. I think there is greater appreciation right across the globe, more
so than ever, that vaccinations save
lives. If we get to the point early next year of having a vaccine for COVID-19,
I am sure everyone will agree that we
should set aside the arguments that the anti-vaxxers put into the public domain
and all commit to making sure that we keep our community safe.
The Voluntary Assisted
Dying Act 2019 is obviously a landmark piece of legislation for Western Australia.
We are now only the second state in
Australia to legislate for end-of-life choices, and the government and I are
exceptionally proud of this
achievement. The act provides a compassionate and safe legal framework that the
community has sought for many years,
and reflects the extensive consultation that was conducted right across the
state. The implementation of this act is underway through the work of an expert
team supported by WA Health and led by Dr Scott Blackwell. This significant piece of legislation will become
operable in July 2021. Can I just acknowledge the great work of the
Joint Select Committee on End of Life Choices chaired by the member for Morley,
the expert panel led by Mr Malcolm McCusker, and the ongoing work of the
end-of-life-care team at WA Health.
We also undertook
other ongoing reform in the health sector. We know that tobacco remains the
leading cause of preventable death in Australia, and is estimated to kill 19 000
Australians each year. The changes we made to the Tobacco Products Control Act
were a significant step forward in the ongoing process of tobacco law reform in
this state. In particular, our changes
focused on young people—to make sure that young people are not tempted
by the marketing of tobacco companies and hooked early in life, and then
struggle to get off this insidious drug. In the eight and a half years of the
Barnett Liberal–National government, not one piece of legislation
reforming the Tobacco Products Control Act was put through. It left it to the
work of the Independent member Janet Woollard to put forward such legislation.
In an exercise in playing catch-up, we are reviewing the act in its current
form to see what further changes can be made to this legislation in 2021 if the
people of Western Australia re-elect the McGowan Labor government.
On the subject of future legislation, the safe access zones
proposal for reform was put forward. We brought this legislation to this place as quickly as we could. I am very pleased that
the Assembly saw fit to support this legislation without even seeing the
need to divide. I assume that all members will stand united after the election
when we recommit this legislation, regardless of who is elected. Given the
unanimous support that was enjoyed by this legislation
right across the chamber, I look forward to any government that is returned
after the election recommitting this legislation so that we can pass it
as quickly as possible to improve the lives of women who are seeking legal
sexual health services right across this state.