Page 1900 - Week 09 - Thursday, 19 October 1989
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MR BERRY: So you ought to regret it, Mr Kaine, because it is entirely untrue. The Government has taken a very serious view of the way that it handles the health system. Rather than go into all of the details, which are regarded by many as very progressive in the way that we have dealt with the health system, I will just bring one matter to your attention which might put the lie to the allegations which you made. I refer to the issue of the steering committee's assessment of the hospital system, which has been a very involved process.
MR SPEAKER: Order! Please do not repeat the same error that was made earlier. Please indicate where you have been misrepresented.
MR BERRY: Indeed, Mr Speaker, and with the greatest respect, I am trying to draw to the attention of the Assembly only one of the areas - only one, and there are many - where the Government has acted appropriately and progressively to put the lie to the allegation made by Mr Kaine in his misrepresentation of my position and that of the Government.
The position clearly is - and just on this one issue - that the Government has supported wholeheartedly the assessment of the hospital system by the steering committee, and of course we are currently assessing that position. We will report on the public health system in the ACT before the end of October, and of course the development of the hospitals which occurs as a result of that announcement will take us well into the next century. I think that in the light of that development alone Mr Kaine should withdraw his allegations that the Government has done nothing about our top-quality health system and our efforts to ensure that it delivers a first-class health service to the people of the ACT.
Legislative Program
MS FOLLETT: I would like to respond to a couple of questions taken on notice. During question time on Tuesday, 26 September 1989, Mr Humphries reminded me of his question of 6 July in which he asked whether I would undertake to provide opposition parties with a weekly or fortnightly legislation program. Mr Humphries then went on to ask whether the Government could provide a list of Bills which it intends to introduce into the Assembly. Mr Speaker, I would like to point out that for some time now the Government has made a practice of informing party leaders of the Bills to be introduced in each sitting week. This information has been conveyed by the Deputy Chief Minister in his regular consultations with party leaders at the start of each week. In other words, Mr Speaker, the Government has taken action to respond to Mr Humphries' request of 6 July. But to formalise this process and to assist party leaders to convey this information to other
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