Minister resigns from Cabinet

Health Minister Keith Wilson has resigned from Cabinet.

He will stay in Parliament as a backbencher and contest his seat of Dianella at the next State election.

Mr Wilson cited as his reason for resigning his personal frustration over the Federal Government's continuing failure to recognise the role of private health insurance as an important source of funding for public hospital services.

"The consequence of this failure is that public hospital services are unable to meet the needs of ordinary Western Australians - particularly pensioners and others on low incomes," Mr Wilson said.

"I wrote in my letter of resignation to the Premier that I have always considered I am primarily answerable to the WA public for appropriately-funded hospital services.

"I have always felt a deep personal responsibility to those many individual cases of people who cannot access ready hospital care.

"Someone has to be answerable ultimately for these continuing failures and no-one in Canberra is prepared to be."

Mr Wilson said his resignation was also his last protest as a Minister about the failure by the Federal Government and the Federal Opposition in the lead-up to the next election to deal truthfully with the Australian people about how needed hospital services should be funded.

"We have the most inefficient and ramshackle hospital funding system one can imagine," he said.

"In the current renegotiations for a new Medicare agreement in 1993, WA has achieved a breakthrough in the Federal Government's attitude on funding and stands to gain a minimum additional $50 million a year.

"It is important to sign the agreement before the coming State and Federal elections to secure this guaranteed major funding increase.

"But the Federal Minister has refused to place any reinforcing of private health insurance on the agenda in the renegotiations.  This means private health insurance cannot fulfil its critically important role of supplementing Medicare.

"The failure to achieve a breakthrough in this area will continue to limit the flow of funds for needed hospital care.

"I do not wish to answer for a final outcome that does not make proper provision for the place of private health insurance, and I believe I must leave it to someone else who will feel easier about it to complete the task."