Page 2956 - Week 10 - Thursday, 16 August 1990
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Mr Jensen: I withdraw it, Mr Speaker. I am sorry; I got carried away.
MR BERRY: The fact of the matter is that the Residents Rally is involved in this doublespeak with the Government and, of course, they have to share in the censure of this Minister. This last week's events have demonstrated that the Minister is incompetent and must be censured. He misled the people of Canberra with his statement in this house on 27 March that the Government had decided to provide convalescent beds as proposed in the Social Policy Committee report on the ageing: the facility will be - that is unequivocal - provided on the Acton Peninsula site.
The Chief Minister, of course, put a different complexion on that. He said that it was only a proposal. That was not what Mr Humphries said. He said "the Government" - including the Chief Minister - had made an unequivocal commitment to put it on the site. He later said in radio interviews that his position had not changed. The fact of the matter is that not only had he misled the people in the ACT but also he misled the Assembly, because, in response to a question that I asked on notice, the answer to which I received on 8 August, Mr Humphries said:
The hospice, birthing centre and proposed convalescent facilities will be located at one of the two hospital sites, Woden Valley or Canberra.
What happened to Royal Canberra Hospital in the meantime? And what happened to Mr Bernard Collaery's delivery of Residents Rally policy? He never delivered it. He knew he never delivered it. Dr Hector Kinloch knew he never delivered it. The fact of the matter is that this Minister has proven that he has been incompetent on the delivery of health services and he is worthy of censure because of the attack that he has levelled at the system.
What has not been discussed in this whole debate is the lengthening waiting list for people in pain who require elective surgery and what will happen under the Humphries plan. What does Gary Humphries say as one-third of the operating theatres in our hospitals are closed? What does he say to that? How is he going to take up the slack? He does not know because he has proved his incompetence in the area of figures in schools. He does not know the answer to that question. One-third of the operating theatres in our hospitals will close at the end of 1991. That is his decision. What is going to happen to the people who are now waiting for elective surgery?
Mr Humphries: Where is the proof, Wayne?
MR BERRY: Go and count the operating theatres yourself. You have enough fingers and toes. The fact of the matter is that there will be one-third fewer operating theatres in the ACT when Gary Humphries closes the Royal Canberra Hospital.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .