Page 241 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 13 February 1991
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I have already mentioned the supply and maintenance of a modern ambulance vehicle fleet and equipment. There is nothing more important for people involved in these emergency services, particularly when they are required to drive at high speeds on our road system, than that they have the utmost confidence in the equipment that they are being provided with, and that has been achieved, within the limitations of the comments that I made earlier in my remarks. A review has been in progress and there has been an implementation of contemporary management practices within the services. I think it is important that this take place over a period of time. No management practices within any organisation can be static. They must be improved on as our knowledge in this area improves.
Also, there has been a level of patient care and ambulance response performance equivalent to the Australian metropolitan standard. In fact, I seem to recall that the figures for this have been discussed in this place, and they are in accordance with the current Australian metropolitan standard. (Extension of time granted)
Clearly, from what I have outlined, and in recognition of this level of activity over a period of some three years, some staff who were very comfortable with the old way things were done have found the change difficult, and in some cases have even reacted strongly against it. However, it is important to remember that we must go on in this particular area of developing and continuing to maintain a very professionally run and organised ambulance service, and I trust that, rather than seeking to score cheap political points on this matter, the so-called shadow Minister for this area, if that is what he wants to call himself, will participate in a more bipartisan manner in respect of providing this very important service to the people of the ACT.
MS FOLLETT (Leader of the Opposition) (4.01): I will speak only very briefly on this issue because I believe that, yet again, the Government has really given the Opposition nothing to respond to. I would like in particular to address Mr Jensen's remarks because, as usual, Mr Jensen has adopted the tactic of shooting the messenger. Mr Jensen believes that if Mr Berry draws attention to problems in the Ambulance Service it is Mr Berry's fault and that he should not be carping on about it. Mr Jensen, of course, totally overlooks the fact that Mr Berry, and indeed all members on this side of the house, believe that the ambulance officers concerned do provide a very professional service, are dedicated to their jobs and deserve our total support. It is not, and it never was, the ambulance officers' or the ambulance staff's fault that there is a problem in the Ambulance Service; it is the Minister's fault. It is the Minister's fault for having broken his promises to address this problem. It is the Minister's continuing inadequacy in the provision for an
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