Page 2460 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 14 November 1989
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estimated blow-out at this stage? If it is not $10m, he must have some idea of what it is. Could he please provide the answer.
MR BERRY: Thank you, Mr Duby. Mr Speaker, I think I made it clear when I began to answer the question in the first place that I received an interim report, and I think it would be inappropriate for me to make a guesstimate about what the outcome of the final report might be. The issue of the final figure, as far as I am concerned anyway, should be left until we receive the final report from the Treasury team rather than start another speculative round in which all the players become upset and our hospital system is talked down again by the likes of the Liberal Party.
Hospitals
MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, I would like to address a question or two to the Minister.
Mr Berry: Which one?
MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, does the Minister deny - - -
MR SPEAKER: Which Minister, Mr Kaine?
MR KAINE: The Minister who just sat down and talked about stirring up disquiet but who, by refusing to answer his question, is doing more to stir up disquiet than any other member of this Assembly. Mr Speaker, my question relates to the same issue. Does the Minister deny that there was a $2.5m overrun in his budget in the first three months of this year?
Is that not an example of absolute lack of management control over his department? In particular, I understand that the options mentioned by the board in the letter that it wrote to the Minister included productivity measures in food preparation and distribution, and the rationalisation of nursing shift arrangements at Royal Canberra Hospital, both of which were part of the Government's health budget expenditure cuts. Can the Minister tell us: when does he intend to take action on his budget and put these cuts into effect, since we are now five months into the fiscal year?
MR BERRY: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for giving me the opportunity again to point out the Government's position on the management of the health - - -
Mr Kaine: But will you answer the question, Minister?
MR BERRY: If you give me a chance, Mr Leader of the Opposition.
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