Page 4731 - Week 16 - Wednesday, 28 November 1990
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doctors because of their role in trying to save Royal Canberra Hospital? Did that meeting occur with the Minister's approval, and does he support attempts by his senior bureaucrats to stifle legitimate criticism?
MR HUMPHRIES: Once again, the Opposition are pushing the line that they began earlier this week, the line that attacks the credibility and performance of senior public servants in this town. I have to note with some irony the claims made by the former Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Mr Whalan, when the Government changed last December, that his Government was about to launch a purge of senior members of the ACT Administration. It is obvious that those opposite are the people who are more interested in purging such members.
Mr Berry: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: the answer should be confined to the subject matter of the question.
MR SPEAKER: Please get to your point, Mr Humphries.
MR HUMPHRIES: Yes, Mr Speaker. In respect of the obvious antipathy of those opposite to the performance of some senior members of the administration of this Territory, I have to say that I have every confidence in their ability to handle issues that they deal with as members of the administration.
Ms Follett: Did you get the letter? That is the question.
MR HUMPHRIES: If Ms Follett will be patient, she might get an answer. The fact of life is that the allegations made by Mr Berry are almost certainly without foundation. I am not aware of the meeting that Mr Berry refers to, but I will happily take that issue on notice and discover whether such a meeting occurred. I certainly reject the notion that the idea of the meeting was to discredit physicians at the Royal Canberra Hospital. That notion is obviously untrue, even though I do not know what the background to Mr Berry's question is. I am certain that it is untrue, because I know the record that Mr Berry has in these matters.
I also cannot answer the question as to whether a letter has been received by my office. To the best of my recollection I have not seen that letter yet; but, if such a letter has been received, I will certainly advise Mr Berry when I give an answer on notice to that question.
I have to repeat that as far as I am concerned there is no question but that officers of the administration, including those ones named by Mr Berry, continue to handle their responsibilities with the hospital restructuring and other matters with the utmost diligence. I have complete - - -
Mr Berry: I raise, as a point of order, the subject matter of the question.
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