00:00The Premier started his day alongside the Prime Minister.
00:06Here we go.
00:07We've known each other for 40 years, sorry to give up our age here of both of us.
00:16Campaigning in the federal seat of Hasluck, they jointly promised $350 million to grow
00:21Midland Hospital.
00:22The expansion will add 60 more inpatient beds, two more operating theatres, a new ICU and
00:28as well as the new emergency department.
00:31The opposition offering its support but only because of falling bulk billing rates.
00:36People, because they are not now going to the doctor, because they cannot afford to,
00:42when they do finally present, they are so much sicker and that is what is putting pressure
00:48on our hospital system.
00:50The promise also welcomed by doctors.
00:53This is catching up to where the hospital needs to be and it's probably not even quite
00:58doing that.
00:59We do need many, many more beds across the system.
01:01Roger Cooke later announcing changes to nine of the government's 25 departments.
01:06These particular changes are focused on what we need to do now to ensure that we can deliver
01:11infrastructure and jobs, homes and hospitals into the future.
01:15The big changes will see a new housing and works department take responsibility for building
01:20social housing, schools and police stations, taking over from the Departments of Communities
01:25and Finance.
01:26Transport will expand to include a new major infrastructure arm which will be in charge
01:31of delivering key projects like hospital upgrades and a new port.
01:35In a sense, a big builder and a little builder.
01:38It's about retaining talent.
01:40Hoping to apply the expertise gained through projects like Metronet to upcoming work like
01:45the new Women's and Babies Hospital.
01:47While there are some big changes ahead for some bureaucrats, the Premier says he isn't
01:50expecting there to be any job losses and that any extra costs will be absorbed by departments
01:55existing budgets.
01:57The changes are due to start taking effect from July before being completed by the end
02:01of the year.
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