Page 759 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 12 March 1991
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MR BERRY (5.06), in reply: I am very pleased to see that Mr Collaery supports the waiting lists in our hospital system which have extended to 1,500, and that he supports this Minister's disastrous management of the hospital budget. I will just point out to you what we are complaining about, Mr Collaery, in case you were not listening. All of those issues, of course, would have been well known to the Minister.
As I said in my speech, the principle of living within a budget is not well embedded at all levels in the hospitals and it needs every encouragement. Mr Humphries knew about that, Mr Collaery, and that is what we are complaining about. Treasury does not accept that the functions undertaken by the Hospital Services Division could not be done more efficiently. Mr Humphries knew about that, Mr Collaery. That is what we are complaining about. He knew about it for 15 months. A major problem identified by Treasury is the program management within the Hospital Services Division. The current structure is not working. Mr Humphries knew about that for 15 months. Treasury is also concerned at the lack of financial analysis and control. Mr Humphries knew about that for 15 months.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I see that a document has been circulated outside this place. It is headed, "Budget Difficulties in the Health Portfolio", and it is a document that nobody has been game enough to sign, probably because of the deliberate distortions and, dare I say it, even fibs that have been peddled in that document. I suspect that it is of health department origin, because similar figures appear in the amendment moved by Mr Humphries, where it talks about a $2.5m overrun or deficit in the first quarter of 1989, and a projected overrun of some $10m for a full year. That is downright dishonest, because Mr Humphries knows from the Treasury report to him - and Mr Kaine should know, but may not, from the Treasury report that was sent to Mr Humphries - that the residual problem in 1988-89, when Labor uncovered the problems in the hospital system, was $2.2m. That is why, Mr Deputy Speaker, we made sure that a Treasury team was sent in, in order that the thing could be properly managed.
The Minister for Health was given all of the answers in that report, and he did nothing for 15 months. It is no good blaming the Labor Party. We served it up to him, we gave him all the information, and he did nothing. These lies and distortions are just too much.
Mr Kaine: On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker: The word "lies" has already been ruled out of order.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, the word "lies" is certainly unparliamentary.
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