Page 4501 - Week 15 - Thursday, 22 November 1990
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relation to Kippax Health Centre, it was the Government that withdrew the normal five-year leases from general practitioners and limited them to 90 days.
Mr Humphries: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: the premise on which Mr Berry has asked for the right to make a personal explanation is flawed. I have never said that Mr Berry was behind any health centre closures. I have said that Mr Berry has always told people that the health centre was going to close. However, I have not said at any stage that Mr Berry was responsible for any health centre closures. I think Mr Berry is using his speech to make a further contribution to a debate which is not going on now.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you. Mr Berry, I would ask you to address that particular aspect rather than a point by point blow of different aspects.
MR BERRY: Mr Humphries implied that I was in some way behind the - - -
Mr Humphries: No, I did not.
MR SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. There is no question of anything of that kind being said or implied in my answer to the question, and I suggest that if Mr Berry wants to abuse the privilege of personal explanations he should produce the Hansard record which he says shows that such a statement or implication was made. In fact, that is not the case.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Berry, I would ask you to stick to the personal aspect of the question rather than the background.
MR BERRY: I have been misrepresented because Mr Humphries said that by my public utterances I had in some way whipped up doubt about the future of community health centres in the ACT.
Mr Jensen: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: standing order 46 quite clearly says that such matters may not be debated in relation to personal explanations. I would suggest that Mr Berry is seeking to debate this issue, and not make a personal explanation.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, I uphold your objection, Mr Jensen. Would you just get to the point, Mr Berry.
MR BERRY: Mr Jensen interrupted before I had concluded. I said that I had been misrepresented because Mr Humphries said that I had whipped up some undue concerns about the future of health centres, namely, Kippax, Weston Creek and Melba health centres. I am happy that the Minister has now clarified that I am not implicated in that respect and that it is a Government responsibility and it is the Government's actions which have led to public concern about the issue.
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