Regarding the Geraldton hospital upgrade promise from the Nationals
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Last week the National Party made an announcement pertaining to the Geraldton Regional Hospital. Their full media release is at the end of this article.
Paul Brown, current state upper house member and National Party candidate for the lower house seat of Geraldton in the upcoming state election, stood on the steps of the local hospital and promised that if the Nationals are elected at the March 2017 state election, they will spend $115 million of Royalties for Regions money on an upgrade to the Geraldton Regional Hospital.
However, it's clear that the National Party have no chance of being elected to form government in their own right, and this being the case, we questioned whether the promise was meaningful or not.
The Liberal Party and the Nationals have a strange relationship in Western Australia. While they have a coalition of sorts, they avoid using the term "coalition" as much as possible, and prefer to call their agreement an "alliance". They're bedfellows when it suits, and often opponents when it comes election time.
The Labor party likes to paint the Nationals and Liberals as essentially the same choice, claiming the Nats are as culpable as the Liberal party for the lack of action of any hospital expansion over the last eight years.
However, National members argue that the fact that an expansion is even needed on such a young hospital, can only be Labor's fault. It's a wonderfully messy political argument, and I'll do my best to walk you through it.
First, a quick rewind for newcomers to Geraldton.
Geraldton had a new hospital built back in 04/05.
As far back as 2001 (and earlier) the Gallop Labor Government had been promising a new hospital to the people of Geraldton. Back in 2001 $35 million had been allocated for building the new hospital, and later in the year this figure increased to $39.5 million.
By 2004 when development started, cost estimates had increased to $48 million. This meant the new health facilities in Moora were shelved to make funds available for the new Geraldton hospital. This number became $49 million in statements from Labor candidate Shane Hill in the run up to the 2005 state election, which Labor won.
It's often quoted around Geraldton that the old hospital used to have more beds than the new one does. Even Paul Brown (Nationals) is on the record as saying that when the new hospital was built it was "essentially half the size of the hospital it replaced."
But is it true that the new hospital is half the size of the old one?
Here's what we found from a Q and A in WA Parliament from 2006:
Extract from Hansard [COUNCIL - Tuesday, 4 April 2006] p1046d-1047a
Hon Nigel Hallett; Hon Sue Ellery
GERALDTON HOSPITAL - BED CAPACITY
3253. Hon Nigel Hallett to the parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for Health
(1) What was the bed capacity at the old Geraldton Hospital?
(2) What is the bed capacity for the new Geraldton Hospital?
Hon SUE ELLERY replied:
The bed capacity at the old Geraldton Hospital was 88 (accommodating multi day and same day patients) with a bed average of 58 in 2003/04 and 53 in 2004/05.
The current bed capacity of the new Geraldton Hospital is 78 and on the completion of stage 2 of the redevelopment in July 2006 will be 88 (accommodating multi day and same day patients). Since the opening of the new facility in September 2005 the bed average is 54.
Certainly it may still be argued that the new hospital may be undersized, but it seems a stretch to say it was half the size of the hospital it replaced.
Nevertheless, upgrading the Geraldton hospital has been a hot topic for the last few elections, both state and federal. And there's been a fair bit of chatter in WA Parliament recently on the matter, as we head into election season.
Here's a question in Parliament from MLC Darren West regarding the Hospital from 14 September:
Hon DARREN WEST to the minister representing the Minister for Health:
I refer to the conflicting statements made by the Premier and the Minister for Health about the priority of upgrades to Geraldton Regional Hospital—GRH.
(1) Is the stage 2 upgrade of GRH a priority for the Barnett Liberal–National government?
(2) If yes to (1), when will construction of the stage 2 upgrades commence, when will construction commence of a mental health facility, and when will the co-location of St John of God Geraldton Hospital and the Geraldton Regional Hospital commence?
(3) Have any funds been allocated in the 2016–17 budget for these works; and, if yes, how much?
(4) Have any funds been allocated in the forward estimates for these works; and, if yes, how much?
(5) If no to (1), why not?
Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied:
I thank the member for some notice of the question.
(1) Further redevelopment of the Geraldton Health Campus is a priority.
(2) A business case is required to be developed for consideration by government before time frames are determined and funding allocated. The concept master plan for Geraldton Health Campus includes enabling the potential future co-location of a private provider.
(3)–(4) No.
(5) See answer (2).
So in a nutshell, despite the Geraldton Health Campus redevelopment being claimed as a "priority" by the current state government, no funding has been allocated for it nor has any business case been done on the merits and needs of such a redevelopment.
Here's a statement made by National Party leader Brendan Grylls on 12 October 2016 in Parliament:
"The Geraldton Hospital, which was built by the Labor Party in its term in government, is now too small and the community is calling for a bigger one. It got that decision wrong and did not futureproof Geraldton, which is why so much criticism abounds of the Labor Party’s time in government from 2001 to 2008. It could not make the right decisions, and now, less than eight years on, we are talking about needing to invest again. That is classic policy failure when a party does not plan and does not get it right."
Here's a recent statement made to Parliament by Labor member Darren West, Member for the Ag Region:
20 October 2016
"In 2005, a new hospital was opened to replace the 1960s version that had served us well. That new hospital was built always with the intention of expansion, because Geraldton is one of two regional cities that have a private hospital; the other being Bunbury. It is important that both those health services remain viable and provide a service to the public. If we had built a massive hospital in Geraldton, it would have affected the viability of the St John of God Geraldton Hospital. The Geraldton community thinks it is important to have both hospitals, so a decision was made in 2000 to build stage 1 of Geraldton Hospital small enough so that there is capacity in the town for the two hospitals combined on a scale that enables the private hospital to continue to function and not be closed. There would be no real gain to the community if one large hospital was built and the other closed. It was always intended there would be a stage 2 development and that other services would be added to that hospital. It is a fantastic facility. There have been criticisms about it being too small, but I think the people who say that are quite insular and narrow-minded in their thinking."
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"The Labor government had a plan for health service delivery in Geraldton and delivered on that plan, and that is a very important point to make. The contrast with this government is that it does not really have a plan. It has committed to a lot of things and not delivered them. I refer to the front page of The Geraldton Guardian of 6 September 2013. A very firm commitment was made to the people of Geraldton. I am holding up that front page, which shows the chap on the left, who is now the Leader of the National Party, and the fellow on the right, who is the Mayor of the City of Greater Geraldton. They made, as the headline states, a “Last-Minute $120m Hospital Plan” and if elected, they would build a hospital in Geraldton. They were duly elected and we have not seen a new hospital built in Geraldton."
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Nonetheless, I saw that as a positive. I was told that consultation was underway and that it would be done in conjunction with the Mid West Development Commission and the Department of Health. Off we go—the review was undertaken about a year ago and was due to be finished in February. With that in the back of my mind, I started to wonder: Where is the review? What has happened? What are the outcomes? On Tuesday, 18 October last week, I asked: where is the review? I was told that the review could not be tabled because it was not finished. A review of health infrastructure in Geraldton that was due to be finished in February is still not completed. Not only have we gone from a plan to a review, but we cannot even manage to finish the review eight months after it was due to be completed! I guess members can work out why I am starting to be sceptical about the government’s commitment to health service delivery in Geraldton.
In Parliament yesterday—Wednesday, 19 October—I asked when the review had begun, because I wondered if it had actually really begun, and why there had been a delay and what funds may be available in the budget process for this important piece of infrastructure in Geraldton. Can members imagine my surprise when I found out yesterday, eight months after the review was due to be finished, that there is no funding available? There are no allocations available in the budget or the forward estimates for this piece of infrastructure that was a central part of a plan in 2013, which was then subject to review but now will not happen at all because there is no funding in the budget. The public gets very cynical when members of Parliament make promises that they have no intention of keeping and walk away from them. Of course the Geraldton community is upset about this government’s handling of the health portfolio and the notion of Geraldton regional hospital stage 2. I am quite convinced that before the next state election the government will go back to this plan. There will be a plan. Even though there is no money and there has been no review, there will be a plan. Hon Paul Brown has already made utterances about $50 million for a hospital in Geraldton, but I can tell the Geraldton community that it is not true because I have followed up the plan, I have followed up the review and I have asked the questions—there is no money. It is not a priority for this government. I think that is very sad. The community is not only missing out on an important piece of health infrastructure that is due, but it is also being dudded.
Paul Brown responded to statements made by Darren West in Parliament:
The member absolutely knows that those comments are misleading, given that the person standing to the right of the Leader of the National Party, Brendon Grylls, was a candidate for the federal seat of Durack at the time, not the mayor. He was running in a federal election and he was making a commitment to the people of Geraldton and the people of Durack to partner with the WA Nationals and the Leader of the National Party, Brendon Grylls, and go to Canberra, if he was elected to the seat of Durack, and forcefully argue the case for funding for Geraldton Hospital. He did not get elected. No matter what the member on the other side might say, he did not get elected. Melissa Price, the Liberal candidate, was elected as the federal member for Durack.
The reason the Nationals’ candidate did not get elected was that the Labor Party chose to preference against him. Only two people, the Leader of the Nationals and Shane Van Styn, who was a candidate for Durack, made a commitment to the hospital. If health services and the expansion of the hospital in Geraldton were such a high priority, as the member continues to say all the time, why would the Labor Party not commit to the only person who made a commitment to the hospital during the federal election? At the end of the day, when he ran as a candidate for Durack in the 2013 federal election, the Labor Party preferenced against him. When the member stands up and says that he did not keep the commitment, it is misleading for him to suggest that at the time he was running as a candidate for mayor. He is now the mayor, but that was not the commitment that he made. He made the commitment as a candidate for Durack. He was not elected. That election commitment was not able to be kept because the Labor Party preferenced Melissa Price.
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Interestingly enough, I will tell Hon Martin Aldridge where the former Labor government got the money from. It got the money with a budget blowout, which meant that the Moora Hospital did not get built at that time. It used $6.3 million that was supposed to go to the Moora Hospital. The budget blew out so much because of union activism. The unions need to be fed and watered, and they need to have something to put back into the Labor coffers as another election commitment, because they got fed and watered. The Labor government chose not to build Moora Hospital. The people of Moora had over seven years saved $360 000 of their own funds to contribute to the hospital, and the hospital was pulled out from under them. Moora Hospital was delayed by many years because those funds went to the over-budget, time blow-outs and service and size reductions delivered through the then new Geraldton Hospital. I quote an article that appeared in Farm Weekly at the time —
MOORA shire president Michael Bates has called on country people to stand up for their rights and be more vocal in seeking funding for vital community services, following last week’s shock decision by the State Government not to fund the town’s new $6.3 million hospital.
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Rather than Labor Party members standing up here and in public on many occasions, lauding themselves about funding a new hospital, they should be absolutely embarrassed. They should be embarrassed. The only reason the Geraldton Hospital was built was so that Geoff Gallop, a boy from Geraldton, was not run out of town; he could actually walk the streets of Geraldton safely without being run out of town. The former Labor government did so well in building that over-budget, over-time hospital with a reduction in specialist services that it was kicked out. It actually got kicked out. Everybody thought it did such a good job after it had completed the hospital that it lost that seat at the very next election.
Regarding Stage 2 of the Geraldton Hospital, Paul Brown continued:
Rather than Labor Party members standing up, patting themselves on the back, and pointing the finger at us, they should talk about stage 2 of Geraldton Hospital. It was never designed and never planned for. The Labor Party was in government for eight years. In the 2008 budget, there was not one penny in the forward estimates for stage 2—the magic pudding that Hon Darren West keeps talking about. There were no plans, no designs, no drawings and no funding. Over eight years in government and over the four years of the 2008 forward estimates for the former Labor government’s last budget, there was not one cent put towards stage 2. It was a magic pudding. Hon Darren West keeps talking about it; it is a figment of his imagination. As a result of the lack of specialist services, we now have two or three Royal Flying Doctor Service flights a day going backwards and forwards to Perth delivering patients for specialist care, and there is increased demand on the patient assisted travel scheme. The footprint for Geraldton Hospital extends over Carnarvon, Meekatharra, Mt Magnet and Wiluna in the north midlands area. Those services cannot be provided from Geraldton because Labor members did not build the hospital big enough, they went against the wishes of the people of Geraldton, and they blew out the budget. They are a disgrace and an embarrassment.
The person who currently holds the seat of Geraldton, Liberal MLA Ian Blayney, said recently to the Geraldton Guardian that he expected the matter to be settled during this term of Government.
But time is running out, and, according to Darren West, the report that was promised by February is nowhere to be found.
As you can see, Labor are arguing that the Nats should have done something by now based on their previous promises, Nats are arguing that it's Labor's fault that anything even needs doing, and the Libs seem to be quietly dodging the issue as much as possible, presumably either because there's actually no money to spend on the hospital, or that they want to make their own bold announcement closer to the election.
We had a chat with Paul Brown regarding his promise to expand the Geraldton Regional Hospital. (Answers edited for brevity. Questions from Everything Geraldton in bold.)
An improved hospital has been promised in the past. Why didn’t Minister Terry Redman make it happen over the last three years?
There was no commitment made in the past. The previous commitment that everyone keeps referring to is the commitment by Shane Van Styn when he was running for the federal seat of Durack. He did not win that seat. Melissa Price won that seat, and has not been able to achieve any funding from the Federal Government. In fact, last year when I met with Susan Ley, Minister for Health, and Melissa Price was at that meeting, she categorically ruled out any funding from the Federal Government into the Geraldton Regional Hospital.
... Shane Van Styn was a candidate when he made that election commitment; he didn't win. So therefore, it was a Federal Election campaign commitment, he was unsuccessful, so this is my commitment. Terry and I made an (earlier) commitment of $50 million. We were looking for dollar for dollar funding from the Federal Minister, and at that time she ruled out funding. So now, a year later, I have been able to convince Terry (Redman) and Brendan (Grylls) of the need, and certainly I've listened to the people of Geraldton and the Mid West and they are demanding an upgrade.
If we are elected next year, we will ensure that through Royalties for Regions funding that ... we move immediately ahead with the redevelopment and expansion.
Shane (Van Styn) also ran for the (State) seat of Geraldton at the last state election, and he also didn't win that, granted. But he also brought up "vote for me if you want the hospital upgraded"... Now Shane didn't win that election, so you could hardly hold Shane accountable, however...
Shane was a candidate, and the difference is I am a member of Parliament, and I've been representing this area for four years and I've spoken to the people... I've been able to go and convince my Nationals colleagues and the Minister for Regional Development. So this is a commitment that's not made in a vacuum, we have a great understanding of the need, and we've made a $115 million commitment to the people of Geraldton and the Mid West.
If I'm not successful, I'd be saying to you and to the people of Geraldton you need to go and speak to Ian Blayney and Lara Dalton (Labor candidate) and see what their commitments are to the people of Geraldton. Ian has been in office for eight years, and has been able to achieve zero focus on development of a hospital. I've been able to convince my partners and my colleagues in Government at the National Party to invest in the hospital.
If Terry Redman, the Minister for Regional Development, has his fingers on the purse strings for Royalties for Region funding, couldn't he have funded the hospital redevelopment over the last three years?
We've funded an enormous amount of hospital infrastructure across regional Western Australia; Busselton, Bunbury, Albany, Esperance, Kalgoorlie, Merredin, Narrogin, Northam, Katanning, Carnarvon, ...Karratha, Port Hedland Health Campus, and we've also introduced the Southern Inland Health initiative... to improve the health outcomes of people in the Wheatbelt. So I don't think anyone can say we haven't done enough in the health space. I would say, what conversations has Ian Blayney had with the Minister for Regional Development about focussing attention on to Geraldton and the health outcomes for Geraldton?
The Nats won't win Government in their own right. Isn't this commitment a waste of time unless the Liberal party also back it?
We're a balance of power party. We secured the balance of power in 2008, and with the balance of power we were able to secure a billion dollars a year for regional WA through the Royalties for Regions funds. We have fundamentally changed ... investment into communities in our regions. That is what balance of power brings. Balance of power is a very powerful bargaining chip when someone is looking at forming government with us after the next election. All indications are the Nationals will have the balance of power after the next election. We will use that to ensure a better outcome for regional WA.
If we win the balance of power, then we are in a fantastic negotiating position.
If the Nats win balance of power, but do NOT win the Geraldton seat, will Terry Redman still make the hospital upgrade happen?
That's a conversation you would need to have with Ian Blayney. My commitment is, if I win...
I have it on very good authority, from Brendan and from Terry, that he (Ian Blayney) has never had a conversation with them, about investment into Geraldton.
Hospital promises are starting to feel a bit like Oakajee to Geraldton residents. Every election, federal or state, we see photos of politicians standing in front of the hospital making commitments. Why should people pay attention to this announcement from the Nationals?
Because this is the first commitment I've made. I'm based here in Geraldton. My family lives here. My kids go to school here. I live, work and play in this town. I am leaving a safe upper house seat that I could sit in for the next 20 years, to run for the seat of Geraldton. This is my commitment to the people of Geraldton...
Shane made a commitment as a member for Durack, and he wasn't successful. The people of Geraldton and the Mid West need to look at that. They didn't back Shane, they backed Melissa (Price, Liberal party), and four years later we're still having a conversation about the Geraldton Regional Hospital when she said it was the top of her wish list. She has not been able to go and get funding...
A better hospital ultimately will mean better health outcomes for Mid West residents. What do you say to locals who feel like something as important as their HEALTH seems to have become a political negotiation tool?
Well I don't believe it has become a political negotiation tool. I've made a commitment. They can see that for what it is. I've made an honest, transparent commitment, so has my leader, Brendan Grylls. Terry Redman has supported that being Minister for Regional Development. And on the weekend, our whole party membership at the convention unanimously supported redevelopment of the Geraldton Regional Hospital. That is now National Party policy, not just a promise from me and Brendan. Take that for what it is.
It's not a political football. I'm not into horse trading with the Liberals or Labor about this. I've made a rock solid commitment...
If it comes to it, are you saying you're willing to form Government with Labor if the Liberal party won't come to the table on this matter?
We haven't ruled anything out. We've had eight years of good partnership with the Liberal party, but we have not ruled out forming government, and we are happy to negotiate with all those parties. That will be up to the leadership of the party to determine what that outcome is. All I will say is Mark McGowan has said categorically he would not form government with the National party, but we have not ruled that out ourselves. We are a balance of power party, and we seek to use the balance of power judiciously, for the best outcome for regional WA.
Shane Van Styn appears in photos of your recent announcement. Was he there in his capacity as Mayor, or as a Nationals member?
In his capacity as Mayor of City of Greater Geraldton. He is no longer on the executive of the Nationals. He is the Mayor, and he was invited by me as the Mayor of Geraldton, because this is a very important announcement for the people of Geraldton.
Media Statement from Paul Brown:
The Nationals WA commit $115 million to Geraldton Regional Hospital
October 28, 2016
The Nationals WA will commit $115 million of Royalties for Regions funding to the expansion and re-development of the Geraldton Regional Hospital if elected at the March 2017 State election.
The Nationals WA Candidate for Geraldton Paul Brown MP said the funding would facilitate the immediate expansion of ward space for additional beds, reconfiguration of the clinical work space, modernised surgical theatres, an expanded Emergency Department and improved car parking and access points, to cope with the increasing demand in Geraldton and across the Mid West.
“Upgrading the Geraldton Regional Hospital has been a long-held priority for the Geraldton community and surrounding Mid West Region which is serviced by the hospital,” Mr Brown said. “The community has spoken and The Nationals WA have listened.
“Only The Nationals WA, as creators and custodians of Royalties for Regions, can be trusted to deliver this important project.”
Mr Brown was joined by Leader Hon Brendon Grylls MLA for the announcement in Geraldton today ahead of The Nationals WA 2016 State Conference.
Mr Grylls said the announcement was just another example of The Nationals’ strong commitment to improving healthcare in regional WA.
“The Nationals WA believe all West Australians, no matter where they live, should have access to quality healthcare,” Mr Grylls said.
“This is why our team has worked hard to deliver vital upgrades to regional hospitals in Kalgoorlie, Albany, Busselton, Karratha, Esperance and Carnarvon thanks to Royalties for Regions.
“There are also additional upgrades earmarked for Manjimup, Northam, Collie, Merredin, Narrogin and Katanning through the half billion dollar Royalties for Regions-funded Southern Inland Health Initiative.
“These investments are transforming health in regional WA and improving liveability of communities for residents.”
Mr Brown called on the Federal Government to match The Nationals WA’s funding commitment for the full redevelopment.
“It’s time for the Federal Government to return some of the $4.7 billion of GST it has taken this year alone, to ensure this vital upgrade and expansion can be delivered,” Mr Brown said.
