Page 761 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 12 March 1991
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Is it not amazing that after 15 months the Minister and the Treasurer, who had been fully aware of the disastrous situation in the hospitals, had done nothing; they had not even bothered keeping their finger on the pulse in relation to budgets in the hospital system. Where does that lead to, Mr Deputy Speaker? It leads to a situation where a censure motion is entirely justified. There is no question about that. Mr Humphries should have resigned. He has not had the common decency to do that. On that basis, he should have been sacked.
Mr Deputy Speaker, for 15 months Mr Humphries has done nothing, even though it was presented to him on a plate by Labor. What we have in front of us is a range of distortions aimed at covering up the actual situation. Today's announcement is a vote of no confidence in the bureaucracy of the hospitals and of the health department, if the thing still exists or has not been restructured. It has been handed over to Mr Enfield and Mr Service. It is an admission of defeat. The Minister cannot do it, so it has been taken out of his hands and given to others to do. It is an admission of defeat, and now it is more than $12m, admitted to by the Chief Minister himself.
Mr Deputy Speaker, if I can be protected from these demons opposite, the facts that have presented themselves to this Assembly are very clear, because this Minister has had in his hands a report from Mr Kaine's Treasury which explains all of the difficulties. I heard Mr Humphries say a moment ago that there was no profit for the hospital system in private patients, but the Treasury team also found out - 15 months ago - that private patients were not electing to be treated privately. Of course, there would be significantly more money flowing into the hospital system. But, Mr Deputy Speaker - - -
Mr Humphries: What would you do about that, Wayne?
MR BERRY: We had only a few days before we were given the dump by you lot, before you promised Bernard the deputy leadership and got the job. Now, for 15 months, Mr Humphries has been aware of that problem and apparently - as admitted in his own press release - has done nothing.
So, the real problems have been admitted to. The Government is incompetent as well as Mr Humphries. The Chief Minister has dodged his responsibilities. He has known about the problem - he is the Treasurer - and he cannot be bothered to look after the budget in the hospital system, even though his own Treasury officers have advised him of all of the problems. What has he done? Nothing! He floats around the town pretending to be a statesman. I have to say that the nearest he has been to a statesman is behind the steering wheel. He has not had the courage to discipline the erring Mr Humphries for his absolute failure to address the issues which have been placed before him by Treasury.
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