Page 2140 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 6 June 1990
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the circumstance of doubt about the validity of the Bills, I would ask you to speak to the motion rather than to attack the procedures of this house. What I am asking is that you do not take the advantage of having the only opportunity to speak, because if I do not allow the Bill then the others cannot retaliate against what you have said. I am asking for fair play under the ruling that I have presented.
MS FOLLETT: With all due respect, Mr Speaker, I expect the Government to take full advantage of what they see as a technical problem with the Bill and I will speak as strongly as I possibly can in favour of the Bill.
Mr Speaker, it is not improbable that implementing the Liberals' overall plan will, in fact, cost more than retaining Royal Canberra Hospital. It is completely outrageous that this Government has been unable to cost its proposals for the convalescent home, the birth centre, the hospice and the 24-hour mental health crisis centre which it intends to establish on the Royal Canberra Hospital site. There has been not a word about what they will cost.
The lack of public information means that the Government is either obfuscating about the cost or it simply does not know. I suspect the latter. Making decisions and announcing plans in the complete absence of hard facts shows a reckless disregard for the public interest and reveals their ideological motivation.
The other fact which many people have yet to realise is that this Government is engaged in stealthy cuts to the public health system, even before Royal Canberra Hospital closes. For example, substantial parts of the hospital have already been closed. While the hospital has a nominal bed capacity of 443 beds - - -
Dr Kinloch: On a point of order, Mr Speaker; I heard someone interject while another member was speaking.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you for your observation. I would again point to the Minister involved. Please proceed, Ms Follett.
MS FOLLETT: While the hospital has a nominal bed capacity of 443 beds, there are currently only 277 beds in operation. Mr Speaker, the Government's decision to close the Royal Canberra Hospital is only one of many hasty and ill-informed decisions that they have made on the basis of prejudices about the cost of community services in this Territory. It is quite clear that they do not have sufficient information to make a proper decision about this matter, just as they cannot publicly provide any information to justify their decisions to close schools.
The final point that has to be made is that the Government has absolutely no regard for the views, for the needs and for the aspirations of the Canberra community. Mr
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