Page 1068 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 20 March 1991
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MR SPEAKER: "Misleading people".
Mr Jensen: "The people, the public".
Ms Follett: Just withdraw it. You have been ordered to withdraw.
Mr Jensen: Why should I withdraw a statement of fact?
Mr Humphries: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: That phrase has not been asked to be withdrawn in the past. Mr Berry has, himself, used it many times in the past. "Misleading the public" and "misleading the ACT" are very acceptable phrases, apparently, in this Assembly, and it would be most unfortunate to change the rules about that matter now.
MR BERRY: I am glad that the Minister for Health, Mr Humphries, has said that it is now acceptable for - - -
MR SPEAKER: Order! Are you talking to the point of order, or are you about to resume your speech?
MR BERRY: I just got back on my feet.
MR SPEAKER: I thought you were talking to the point of order. I will not insist on withdrawal of that, Mr Jensen; but I would just remind members, again, to keep their asides to a lower level of volume. You can speak amongst yourselves, but if you are going to call across the chamber you will be called to order. Please resume, Mr Berry.
MR BERRY: I am pleased that the Minister will now accept the term "misleading" in this place for his actions in the delivery of health services in the Territory, because he has truly misled the people of the Territory into the false belief that services will improve under his Ministry. They will not, and they have not. When people who have the responsibility of caring for children with disabilities approach this Minister, they have been told in the past that the problem lies with Minister Collaery's area. Then on the other hand they have approached Mr Collaery and they have been told that education issues are the responsibility of Minister Humphries and that transport problems lie in Mr Duby's area.
All of these difficulties, of course, emerge in my motion, because it is really the lack of coordination in the provision of services which is a problem for this Government. The community is not confident that this Government can provide these services, because of all the distortions which have been cobbled together by relevant Ministers. Those are the facts of life which the people of the ACT who rely on these services have to face. What it boils down to is that they are referred from one Minister's office to the other. I think the Ministers do it to get some respite care themselves, because there is a constant
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