Page 2559 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 15 November 1989
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MR KAINE: I ask a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. I noted Mr Berry's reference to the Liberal Party. Unfortunately the Liberal Party is not in government, so we do not have to answer for the inaction. He does. But my supplementary question is: did the Minister simply ignore this advice to the budget consultative committee, just like the Government has ignored all the other advice that it got through that so-called consultative process?
MR BERRY: Ignore which advice?
MR KAINE: The advice from the Nurses Federation that it would take legal and industrial action if you did not listen to it.
MR BERRY: I think I answered that, Mr Speaker.
Psychiatric Services
MR MOORE: My question is also to Mr Berry as Minister for Community Services and Health. Has the Minister received approaches or submissions from a Mr Peter Lowe of Watson, asking him to use his powers under subsection 52(4) of the Health Authority Ordinance to investigate allegations by Mr Lowe about psychiatric services at the City Health Centre and, if so, what has the Minister done in response to that request?
MR BERRY: Mr Moore, if you do not mind, I will refer that question to the Chief Minister.
MS FOLLETT: I am well aware of the matters which Mr Moore has asked about. I am also aware that this matter has been going on for some years now and that the particular gentleman involved has been seeking for many, many years to resolve the matter that relates to the Health Authority. I have done my best to assist Mr Lowe and in fact have been in correspondence with him. I have had the Government Law Office check out the full detail of his claims, as indeed has the Minister for Health, Mr Berry. Mr Lowe was advised of a course of action and he sought to act upon that advice. Unfortunately, the course of action that was advised to him did not actually eventuate because I believe that he was wrongly dealt with by the body to whom we had referred him.
That matter has now been taken up at an officer level and I am awaiting further advice upon it. But I think it is most unfortunate that, after such a long wait and on such a long-term matter, when he did get a response on it he was not able to act upon the course of action that was suggested to him.
Mr Speaker, I do not want to go into too much detail about this because it is a matter that concerns a particular
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