Page 65 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 13 February 1990
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Mr Jensen: He did not withdraw his remarks. He qualified them and, in fact, made other remarks without formally withdrawing his imputations against Mr Collaery.
MR SPEAKER: I believe that Mr Whalan did make a withdrawal.
Mr Kaine: It would be nice if he would confirm that, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Would you please get to your point of order, Mr Whalan.
Mr Whalan: I am talking about repetition. What is happening here, Mr Speaker, is that Mr Collaery is repeating, virtually verbatim, the comments made by Mr Kaine when he addressed the house when introducing this. I would ask you to rule that the comments are repetitious and that they be terminated.
MR SPEAKER: Please ensure no repetition, Mr Collaery. Please proceed.
MR COLLAERY: It is difficult to see how any repetition could be occurring in this situation. Mr Speaker, I would like to make it very clear that the Federal Government is delaying a final decision on hospital redevelopment, and, as I have said, this delay is particularly galling as it has been Commonwealth neglect of the hospital system that has given rise to the problems that we now confront. In particular, I refer to the $50m or more that is required to refurbish Royal Canberra Hospital to bring it to the standard we would expect of a modern hospital. The redevelopment of the hospital system, as recommended by Dr Brendan Kearney, is central to the Alliance Government's health policy, but whatever form redevelopment takes, the Alliance Government assures the people of Canberra that the Acton Peninsula will continue to be a focal point for the provision of community health facilities.
I should also point out that the Alliance Government is committed to the one principal hospital concept as recommended by Dr Kearney. I believe that the advantages of locating major hospital specialist services at one hospital is consistent with national and international trends in hospital services and will lead to a most efficient and effective delivery of services. Collocating all the major specialties also has outcomes in terms of the quality of services which are highly persuasive.
The Alliance Government has, of course, moved quickly to restore confidences in hospital administration. Under the previous Government the status of the hospital board was placed in what can only be described as serious doubt. The Alliance Government rejected Labor's attempts to downgrade the hospital board and moved quickly to implement the key recommendations of the Kearney report relating to the
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