Page 1448 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 1 May 1990
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
simply cannot afford at this stage. If we are to have two public hospitals then they should be Woden and Royal Canberra; let Calvary continue operating and let it operate as a private hospital.
You must make sure that your monetary decisions are not made and influenced by a few doctors who are putting forward all their arguments so that they and their colleagues can line their own pockets at the expense of the community in general. It is absolute nonsense that the Royal Canberra Hospital is in such a run-down state of repair as some would have us believe.
Dr Kinloch used to believe that the Royal Canberra Hospital should stay open; did you not, Hector? You used to believe that our education would be expanded and improved. That is what you used to believe. But look at that word, Hector, "believe".
MR SPEAKER: Order! I draw Mr Moore's attention to the fact that he should not refer to members by their Christian names.
Dr Kinloch: Mr Speaker, on a point of order; might I suggest Mr Moore address his issues and principles and not individuals ad hominem?
MR SPEAKER: Order! Dr Kinloch, you are debating the issue.
MR MOORE: Believe, B-E-L-I-E-V-E; when you look at the spelling you can see that even within the word "believe" there is a lie.
MR SPEAKER: Order! I request you to withdraw that. It is an imputation. Please withdraw it.
MR MOORE: I withdraw that, Mr Speaker. This brings me to education. Take a long-term vision of the ACT, take a long-term vision of our real assets, our children, and make them your capital expenditure. Do not be so foolish as to cut off the opportunity that we have to become the smart country and for the ACT to be the leader in the field. Go back to the Grants Commission and say to them, "If the ACT is overfunded by comparison to the other States" - which I still debate - "then do not be hypocritical and call for us to be the smart country while dragging us down to their level. Look at our retention rates, look at our comparative statistics from ACER, and drag them up to our level".
Mr Humphries: With what? Where is the money coming from?
MR MOORE: From the Grants Commission, from the capital expenditure. That is what I am trying to tell you. Take someone with you who has the ability to negotiate, which none of you appear to have.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .