Page 3171 - Week 15 - Thursday, 14 December 1989
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extravaganza of nine Ministers to run the Territory - nine Ministers to replace the four Ministers of the Follett Government.
Clearly this extravaganza, this MGM production - it is a bit of a horror movie, I must say, Mr Speaker, but even so it is on the wide screen in technicolour - will result in a cost accruing to the people of the ACT which is catastrophic. It is inevitable, Mr Speaker, that the cost of this change alone is going to blow out the budget. It is the cost of this alone and it is this sort - - -
Mr Humphries: You are fantasising, Paul Whalan.
MR WHALAN: This is the sort of reason why the hatchet man, Mr Humphries, has been sent to cut costs in the hospitals - to provide money to pay for the nine new Ministers. This is the rationale behind the expenditure savings in the hospitals. He is going in there to slash and save money in the hospital system, to close Royal Canberra Hospital, and in so doing to make funds available to provide for the extravaganza of all these additional offices and the additional staff which will be made available to the five extra Ministers.
One of the things which I believe the Assembly and the people of the ACT are entitled to know, Mr Speaker, is precisely the costs that are involved in reaccommodating the Ministers from the first floor and how they are going to be serviced in terms of staff, because quite clearly, to take on the responsibilities which they have, they are going to require that extra staff.
But the other aspect, Mr Speaker, which I think we have not had the opportunity to have discussed today, so far anyway, is the relationships that exist. I understand that there is enormous tension already between Mr Duby and Mrs Nolan in relation to tourism. I understand that Mrs Nolan wants absolute and total control of the Tourist Bureau and that Mr Duby is resisting that particular situation. So we have already got a position of tension which will inevitably have its effect on the tourist industry, which has recently been brought together as a united organisation.
MR SPEAKER: Order! Your time has expired, Mr Whalan. Mr Whalan, during your speech, while I was temporarily out of the chamber, you made imputations of improper motives against Mr Duby with regard to overseas travel. I request that you withdraw those comments.
Mr Whalan: There is nothing improper, Mr Speaker - - -
Mr Duby: There was.
Mr Whalan: There is nothing improper about Mr Duby wanting to go overseas.
Mr Duby: Mr Speaker, I claim to have been misrepresented.
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