Meet the Minister- Dr Kim Hames

HON DR KIM HAMES MLA

Deputy Premier; Minister for Health; Tourism

Dr Kim Hames is currently the Deputy Premier of Western Australia, with responsibility over the portfolios of Health and Tourism. Dr Hames also has a special coordinating role for the Kimberley region.

This year will mark his 15th as an elected member of Parliament, first being elected as the Member for Dianella (1993-96) and later Yokine (1996-01). He was elected as the Member for Dawesville in 2005, which is a seat he still holds.

Under the Court Government, Dr Hames was the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Housing and Water Resources. Prior to becoming a Member of Parliament, Kim was a councillor at the City of Bayswater for eight years.

Achievements in Government:
Since winning Government in 2008, Dr Hames has introduced the Four Hour Rule Programme to WA's hospital system, which has resulted in greater patient satisfaction, better care and the ability to meet growth in demand in WA's health system.

Other new programs have included the Friend in Need Emergency Scheme which involves funding Silver Chain to provide health care in the home when a patient would otherwise be in hospital. The Royal Flying Doctor Service and St John Ambulance Service have also had significant budget boosts, resulting in better emergency health care across the State.

The Liberal-National Government is also undertaking the biggest expansion of WA's health system in recent history, with construction and planning ongoing for the new $2billion Fiona Stanley Hospital, a $1.17billion new children's hospital, $360million new Midland Health Campus and a $229.8million upgrade to Joondalup Health Campus.

A series of upgrades and construction is also underway in regional WA, including a $55million upgrade at Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital, a new $166million hospital for Albany and new hospitals at Busselton, and Nickol Bay. All projects are tracking on time, and on budget.

Other key areas include improving access to primary care and child health services.

In the Tourism arena, Dr Hames is working to ensure WA attracts and retains key events with appropriate funding and support. Other areas of interest include increasing the stock of hotel rooms in Perth and regional areas, and ensuring families have access to affordable, local holidays.