Page 992 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 28 March 1990
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MR HUMPHRIES: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Mrs Grassby claimed that I had said that there would be birthing centres at private hospitals in the ACT. There will be no birthing centres at private hospitals unless the private hospitals choose to build them themselves at their own expense, which is their choice. Of course, they can do that. The birthing centres being established by this Government will be in public hospitals.
The second point is that Mrs Grassby claimed that I had said to somebody that we, the Liberal Party, or I personally were going to keep Royal Canberra Hospital. That is untrue. I have never said to anybody anywhere that we were going to keep Royal Canberra Hospital.
Mrs Grassby: You even signed a petition.
MR HUMPHRIES: Mrs Grassby mentions now, and Mr Berry referred earlier, to a petition I signed some time ago - more than a year ago. That petition called on the saving of Royal Canberra Hospital by the injection of Commonwealth funds and I repeat today what I said yesterday: if the Commonwealth Government paid for the Royal Canberra Hospital to be retained, I would be in that as well, but it is not going to.
The third thing Mrs Grassby said was that I had claimed that there were no private obstetric beds in public hospitals. Mr Deputy Speaker, that is true. There are no private obstetric beds in the ACT public hospitals.
MR DUBY (Minister for Finance and Urban Services) (11.31): Mr Speaker, I felt I had to rise after listening to the ravings of Mrs Grassby - - -
Mrs Grassby: At least I was sober.
Mr Collaery: Mr Deputy Speaker, on a point of order; Mrs Grassby just made an interjection to Mr Duby and said, "At least I am sober". This is a repeat run.
Mrs Grassby: I am, I am sober.
Mr Collaery: There is an imputation there and I ask that the member be asked to withdraw it. We have got to be firm on this - - -
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, thank you. If you would withdraw the words, Mrs Grassby. Do you withdraw them?
Mrs Grassby: Yes.
MR DUBY: As I said, Mr Deputy Speaker, having listened to the rantings of Mrs Grassby in this debate, I had to rise for no other reason than to assure her that there are absolutely no plans whatsoever for private development of any kind on the Acton Peninsula. Perhaps it will make her feel better to let her realise that the Government is
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