Page 852 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 13 March 1991
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MR CONNOLLY: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. Given the system of accountability that you have described, why did you say, only three weeks ago, "I have received no advice of any variation on the patterns of expenditure on the part of the hospital system vis-a-vis the budget; I, therefore, operate on the assumption that the budget is on track"? Does that not indicate that your systems of accountability are hopeless?
MR HUMPHRIES: No, it does not, Mr Speaker, because the information coming to me, in those senses, is very similar to information coming to the Board of Health. If information is not flowing through to the Board of Health as it should be, then, naturally, I also, as Minister, will find that I am not getting an adequate or sufficient flow of information.
I have to say that those opposite seem to have a complete and cavalier disregard for the fact that at the present point in time there are two inquiries going on into this matter: One by Mr John Enfield, as announced yesterday, and the other by Ms Follett herself, as Leader of the Opposition and as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. What kind of impartiality can we expect from the Labor-led inquiry in the Public Accounts Committee while those opposite continue to press for answers on these issues in this place? I would have thought that the Public Accounts Committee was at least one venue where those questions should be asked and answered.
Nonetheless, Mr Speaker, as I have said: I accept that there is a problem with the financial accounting systems in the hospitals. If there was not a problem, presumably I would not have asked for an inquiry to be begun by Mr John Enfield, would I? We accept that there is a problem. We have acted to deal with that problem, and it only remains to await the outcome, if those opposite can possibly wait that long.
Fluoride
MR STEVENSON: My question is to the Minister for Health, Gary Humphries. I refer the Minister to a letter from the Australian Dental Association regarding fluoride, which was sent to his office and dated 15 February 1991. I was sent a copy of that letter. Paragraph 2 of the letter states the following:
The total fluoride ingested by individuals can be readily determined by urine analysis techniques. The methodology is well established and reliable and is not invasive, costly or otherwise troublesome to implement.
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