Page 998 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 19 March 1991
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But, as I said, the critical flaw in the Opposition's argument is that the centre remains open as a centre providing services to people in the ACT and it continues to provide a range of services, including new services not previously located in the Weston Creek area. There are two outstanding examples of that. First of all, there is the Therapy Centre previously located in the Curtin Primary School. Naturally, people who use that service presently and who live in the Weston Creek area will be significantly advantaged because they will be able to take their children a shorter distance to that facility than was the case previously. I think most other citizens of the ACT would not suffer unduly because of that move. Citizens in Tuggeranong, for example, will not necessarily have any further to travel to go to Weston Creek than they did previously to Curtin. Similarly, those living in Belconnen, or north Canberra or even south Canberra will not have significant impositions put upon them as a result of that change. So, what one person loses, another person gains.
The Independent Living Centre is another good example of how that service is being enhanced to the benefit of people living in the Weston Creek area. Mr Berry fails to mention the fact that there are people who presently need and use the services of the Independent Living Centre and who live in the Weston Creek area. What has he said about their additional benefits, their additional gains from the fact that the ILC will now be located in that place? He has said nothing at all. Of course, he will not, because he does not want to paint the other side of the picture. It is not in his interests to present a balanced picture of these services and what is happening to them.
I think that there are many emotional things being said at the moment about changes in the area of health, and it is most unfortunate that the Opposition happens to jump on that band wagon and to use that as an opportunity to beat the Government. It may be that in the course of time facts will prove themselves and prove the Opposition to be wrong, but in the meantime it is this Government's job to make sure the people are made aware of these sorts of misleading statements.
I think it is unfortunate also that some of this attitude spills over on occasions to other people. Members may have seen an article in the Weston Creek-Woden edition of the Valley View last week, the 12 March edition, in which a banner headline on the front page said, "Health Services Condemned". This is the article. It quoted a random survey conducted by the Valley View on Friday, presumably of the preceding week. I quote from that article:
Thirty-four percent of residents interviewed during the survey said they were not satisfied with local health services.
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