Women's and Children's Hospital

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (14:41): Can the minister tell the chamber how much money is being committed to funding the 93 consultation groups that have been formed to assist in the development of the new hospital, and how many frontline clinicians are included in the 93 consultation groups?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:42): I thank the honourable member for his question because it gives me another opportunity to highlight the difference between the former Labor government's approach and the current Liberal government's approach. Not only did the former Labor government lock clinicians out—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —completely disengage them from the design process, I am advised that they did not fund—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! There is too much noise. I want to hear the minister.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: They did not fund clinician engagement. In contrast—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Leader of the Opposition is out of order.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —this government has a commitment to the project where engagement with clinicians is integral. There are 93 PUGs, which I understand means project user groups, which are engaging clinicians from right across the facility. The honourable member I think referred to resourcing of it.

My recollection is that we are putting in $600,000 to enable, if you like, medical officers to be given time off to engage in the process. I am told that approach is without precedent. Again, the current Liberal government's approach, engaging clinicians and supporting them to be properly engaged, stands in very stark contrast from the appalling heritage of Labor.

The Hon. C.M. Scriven: A supplementary.

The PRESIDENT: No, I am not going to take any more supplementaries on that one. I am going to move to your next question. I call the deputy leader for the second question.