Page 5284 - Week 17 - Thursday, 13 December 1990
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This sort of activity has to stop. I hope that we will have the support of Government Ministers, but they have been a little bit shaky on some of the other propositions that I have put up. In fact, I cannot recall one that has been successful so far. But this one is an important one and I am looking forward to having the support of Government members of both the Public Accounts Committee and the Estimates Committee, as both of those committees have witnessed an incredible lack of accountability in our health system over the expenditure of taxpayers' money, even to the point where senior officials of the health department were arguing that completely inaccurate and expensive advertising which had been placed all over Australia was okay. It was very difficult to see an argument that was possible to justify those sorts of actions, but they were convinced - or they were trying to convince the committee - that it was correct. I must add that they did not have much success, and that was quite appropriate.
What we have set out to do with these amendments is to strengthen the contracting arrangements to ensure that there is accountability for the expenditure of taxpayers' money in our health system. Again, Mr Deputy Speaker, it is clear that we can do better, and again I look for a glimmer of support from the Government for this amendment. It is a responsible - - -
Mr Moore: This is probably the one.
MR BERRY: Is this the one, do you think, Mr Moore?
Mr Moore: It could well be.
MR BERRY: There is only one other one left after this and I doubt whether they will support that one, so I think this may be the one. It is a responsible amendment. It is disappointing that the legislation contained a clause that required that sort of amendment to be proposed; but I am quite happy to have proposed the legislation, and I thank the staff of the Labor Opposition's office for their close scrutiny of the Bill that was put up.
Mr Humphries: Thank your mother, too.
MR BERRY: Mr Humphries said that I should thank my mother, too. But I think that would probably be more appropriate in the adjournment debate, and there are a lot of other people who would thank my mother too, except for you, Mr Humphries.
Mr Humphries: Are there? Oh, dear, I would not thank your mother; no, not at all.
MR BERRY: She is a wonderful woman. This is something that I think the Government ought to take on board. It is a responsible approach to contracting arrangements within our hospital system, and I urge the Government to support it.
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