Page 5169 - Week 17 - Thursday, 13 December 1990
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This Government, of course, has no interest in that consultative model and no interest in involving the community in the development of its policies. That has been clearly demonstrated in the way that it has dealt with schools and health policy in the past - in its decisions to close Royal Canberra Hospital and cut the public hospital services and privatise them, irrespective of what the Chief Minister says. He is trying to pretend that he is something he is not. The fact of the matter is that he supports this privatisation. There is no dodging that - as dodgy as the Chief Minister might be. For too long - - -
MR SPEAKER: Order! I would ask you to withdraw that, please, Mr Berry.
MR BERRY: I withdraw that - as much as the Chief Minister might like to mislead us.
MR SPEAKER: I do not believe that is appropriate.
Mr Kaine: What are you on about, you clown?
Mr Connolly: If the Chief Minister can say that he misleads, then he can say that the Chief Minister misleads.
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Connolly! You are not on your feet to speak.
Mr Collaery: Well, Mr - - -
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Collaery! The situation is, Mr Berry, that you are accusing the Chief Minister of misleading the Assembly. What I was talking about was misleading the public by statements outside the chamber, and that was my interpretation. So I would ask you to withdraw it.
MR BERRY: Okay, I withdraw that - as much as the Chief Minister might mislead the public.
Ms Follett: "No new taxes; read my lips."
MR BERRY: Yes, no new taxes. For too long in hospital services the focus has been on the health providers rather than the health consumers, and the Australian Labor Party has a fundamental commitment to those who need to avail themselves of proper and affordable health care. Our amendment is an attempt to redress that imbalance - an imbalance which is clearly set out in the proposals in the Government's Bill.
The Bill, of course, proposes at least seven and possibly 10 board members. Depending on the final figure adopted by the Government, the Opposition would be happy to negotiate the board's make-up. It is not good enough for the Liberals to have a board made up of the big end of town, if you like, many of whom might be the ones that could afford access to the privatised hospital system that the Chief Minister says is not happening; yet, of course, it is.
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