Page 3816 - Week 13 - Thursday, 18 October 1990
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there were 1,384. It is quite true that that figure has fluctuated; but the important point is, of course, that the figure fluctuates all the time. Nobody can take any particular isolated point in time and say that the public hospital system is cracking under the pressure of particular strains because of the size of the waiting list.
I might draw Mr Berry's attention to the fact that in June 1986, for example, the waiting list stood at 2,112 - significantly more than there are now; that the list in June 1987 was 1,595 - still significantly more than there are now. One has to accept, when looking at those lists, that in fact there is significant fluctuation. It is not the creature of government policy; it is the creature of all sorts of factors, many of which are beyond the control of any government. The crucial factor is what number of public hospital beds are in fact in place in the Territory public hospital system.
Mr Berry has toyed with this idea several times in the last few months. He has suggested repeatedly that the Government has closed public hospital beds. The fact of life is that Mr Berry knows that that is not true. The Government has not closed any public hospital beds, except temporarily for fire retardation work and it has reopened those beds. In fact, despite his assertion in this place and elsewhere that the Government has closed public hospital beds, not once in the last six months has he bothered to ask me, as Minister for Health in this Assembly, in question time, how many public hospital beds are actually open in the Territory at any particular point in time. Why has he not asked me that question? Because he is afraid of the answer, Mr Speaker. He does not want to ask the question.
Mr Berry: Have a look at the notice paper. You have not looked at the notice paper.
MR HUMPHRIES: You do not have to be embarrassed, Mr Berry, when the answer comes out against you on the notice paper. It is only on the floor of this Assembly, when you make this assertion without foundation but do not bother to put it to me as Minister for Health, that you get embarrassed. That is when the untruths you speak are shown up.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Sitting suspended from 12.27 to 2.30 pm
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