Page 852 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 27 March 1990
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course, the details of any consultations he has had with members of the medical profession, the AMA, the business sector and Calvary Hospital on these matters?
MR HUMPHRIES: This is quite a red-letter day in the ACT Alliance Government's history. We have had the first question from a member of the Labor Opposition to a member other than the Chief Minister. The long hibernation is over and I am very pleased, notwithstanding the rather tawdry nature of the question, that we have finally had a question from the Opposition on matters relating to education, health or matters other than those that are the responsibility of the Chief Minister.
Mr Moore: I hope you answer better than you answered mine.
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I have indicated, in answer to the member's question, that consultation has been a very important factor in the way in which the Government has reached a decision on the Royal Canberra Hospital site. Discussions have been of an informal nature with many sectors of the community. I have not formally asked any particular individual or organisation for a view on this matter because, for some time, proposals for the redevelopment of the hospital system have been public information through a series of reports. They begin with proposals going back before self-government then, most recently, we have had things such as the Kearney report and the steering committee report following on from that Kearney report. Now, the opportunities for public discussion of these proposals have been enormous, to put it mildly. As I indicated already in answer to an earlier question, the extent to which decisions the Government has made will impact on various sectors of the community is an issue about which there will be consultation. The Government will be discussing fully with people affected by these decisions, the way in which they are to be implemented and the consequences of the way in which they are to be implemented. I should indicate, Mr Speaker, that this decision that I am going to announce later on today is in the nature of a budget decision in the sense that it affects the budget of the ACT for some years to come. It is appropriate in these circumstances that - - -
Mr Berry: On a point of order, Mr Speaker; standing order 118(a):
shall be concise and confined to the subject matter of the question.
The subject matter of the question was: Will the Minister inform the Assembly of the dates and details of any consultation he has had with members of the medical profession, the AMA, the business sector and Calvary Hospital.
MR SPEAKER: Can you answer those questions raised?
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