FIONA STANLEY HOSPITAL is likely to cost WA taxpayers $400,000 every single day for the next year—without one single patient going through its doors.

WA Labor leader Mark McGowan says the Barnett government has mismanaged the project to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars and is now blowing out its completion date by a full year.

He’s demanding the premier come clean on exactly how much an IT bungle is going to cost and how the delays will affect the government’s much-criticised $1.3 billion deal with multinational Secro to run the hospital.

“This is like an episode of Yes, Minister,” Mr McGowan says. “The Barnett government’s incompetence means Western Australian taxpayers are paying for a hospital with no patients.”

The Labor leader says it’s unacceptable for WA health minister Kim Hames to admit to knowing what the costs are—as he did in parliament this week—and then refuse to disclose the sum.

He says Dr Hames, “must reveal his secret to the people of WA”.

“Our understanding is that the bungle will cost taxpayers up to $400,000 a day and tens of millions of dollars a year,” Mr McGowan says, challenging the minister to provide proof if it’s not the case.

“Colin Barnett and Kim Hames must come out today and reveal what the cost of their mismanagement will be. This situation would be laughable if it wasn’t so expensive.”

WA health shadow Roger Cook says there is an “obligation for the premier to come clean”.

“The delays to its opening are entirely down to the Barnett government’s incompetence, and every day that passes amounts to more taxpayers’ money being wasted.”

by BRENDAN FOSTER

Bernard: “In fact, there are only 342 administrative staff at the new St Edward’s Hospital, the other 170 are porters, cleaners, laundry workers, gardeners, cooks and so forth.”
Hacker: “And how many are medical staff?”
Bernard: “Oh, why, none of them.”
Hacker: “None?”
Bernard: “No.”
Hacker: “Bernard, we are talking about St Edward’s Hospital, aren’t we?”
Bernard: “Yes. It’s brand new, it was completed 15 months ago and fully staffed. But unfortunately at that time there were government cutbacks so consequently there was no money left for medical services.”
Yes, Minister (BBC)