The Cook Labor Government is facing fierce criticism after the release of damning new health data for Western Australia, with the State Opposition questioning the effectiveness of its five health-related ministers.
Alarming Data Reveals Worsening Health Trends
Shadow Health Minister Libby Mettam slammed the Government on Wednesday, labelling the latest surveillance figures from a WA Health report as evidence of "appalling health outcomes". She directly linked the statistics to the cost-of-living pressures squeezing households, stating too many West Australians were paying the price through their declining wellbeing.
The report painted a concerning picture of daily life in WA. It found that only one third of adults are meeting the recommended daily intake of two serves of fruit. Even more starkly, less than 5 per cent of adults manage to eat five serves of vegetables each day.
The data also quantified the impact of financial stress on nutrition. The proportion of adults who reported running out of food and being unable to afford more jumped significantly, from 6.6 per cent in 2023 to 8.4 per cent. Younger women were hardest hit, with 13 per cent of females aged 16 to 44 experiencing this food insecurity in the past year.
A Government with Five Health Portfolios Under Fire
Ms Mettam specifically targeted the Government's structure, which now includes five ministers with health-related responsibilities. "All of this is happening under a Government with five health ministers — proof that more ministers doesn’t mean better health outcomes," she argued.
The ministerial roll-call includes Health and Mental Health Minister Meredith Hammat, Health Infrastructure Minister John Carey, Aged Care and Seniors Minister Simone McGurk, Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson, and Sabine Winton, who was appointed as WA's first dedicated Preventative Health Minister in early 2024.
Ms Mettam accused the Government of failing to deliver on its promised funding for prevention, stating it had not met its pledge to commit five per cent of the health budget to preventative programs. She also linked rising smoking rates to a failure to legislate against the illegal tobacco and vape trade.
Broader Health and Mental Wellbeing in Decline
The report's worrying findings extended beyond diet. Screen time increased for adults while physical activity decreased, with almost half of all respondents reporting they spent most of their day sitting down. Despite a drop in vaping, overall smoking rates rose across the surveyed population.
The cost-of-living pressures are also taking a severe toll on mental health. The data shows that one in four WA adults were diagnosed with a mental health condition by a doctor in the past 12 months. Furthermore, one in six experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress.
Foodbank WA chief executive Kate O'Hara said the figures on food insecurity were unsurprising, noting her organisation had an exceptionally busy Christmas period that outpaced Easter, traditionally its busiest time. She expressed a urgent desire for the Government's five per cent preventative funding goal to be met, saying she wanted it achieved "yesterday".
In response, a Government spokeswoman pointed to investments in programs targeting children, including a $28 million expansion of the school breakfast program and a $1.4 million grant to continue the Cancer Council WA's Crunch&Sip nutrition education project. She also noted construction had begun on a new Foodbank facility in Dalyellup to support the South West region.
