Page 4538 - Week 15 - Thursday, 22 November 1990
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The Government asserts that the quality of services would be unaffected by the massive swing to private hospital beds. That is clearly not true. In fact, in my view, saying that is clearly calculated to mislead the public. There can be no justification on any ground for the expenditure of $3m for the fast-tracking of the closure of Royal Canberra Hospital - except, according to Tony Clarke to ensure that the politicians did not lose their nerve. Of course, the Residents Rally people are getting a bit nervous about it, because they betrayed the people of the ACT with their policies at the last poll - because they did not live up to their policies.
Dr Kinloch: Oh, Wayne, what rhetoric you go in for!
MR BERRY: You betrayed them. I saw Dr Kinloch out here saying "God save Royal Canberra Hospital".
Mr Connolly: What about in the truck?
MR BERRY: Yes, and the truck down here at Royal Canberra Hospital.
The Minister claims that the redevelopment will come in on budget. The $154m redevelopment proposal did not include any money for fast-tracking, which means another chunk of the services will be taken out of the system.
Mr Kaine: No, there will not.
MR BERRY: A chunk will be taken out of the system, no matter what you say. The fact of the matter is that it has blown out by more than a million dollars a month since you took office.
Mr Kaine: Rubbish!
MR BERRY: That is true. If the redevelopment is to stay on budget, then the cost of the fast-tracking will eat into the services that are being provided. The Residents Rally party has criticised the fast-tracking of this closure of the Royal Canberra Hospital. I wonder what their MLAs will do. The party says that it has directed them to slow it down and to stop it, but I doubt whether they will do that. After all, these MLAs of the Residents Rally did not take any notice of the 46,000 people who signed the petition to save Royal Canberra Hospital - neither did the Liberals; and, of course, the No Self Government people are still deaf.
But that deafening seems to be catching because the rest of them are slowly going that way as well. Hiding up at Stromlo might make you feel that you are getting better but it will do nothing to address the problems you have created in this community. It is not a matter of navel gazing; it is your policies. You cannot sell those policies; they are crook. The fact of the matter is that your policies are crook and you cannot sell them. You do not seem to have
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