Page 1350 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 16 April 1991
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Mr Humphries: Mr Deputy Speaker, you and the Speaker have repeatedly brought Mr Berry into line for breaching standing orders. I therefore make no apology for saying that Mr Berry frequently flouts standing orders.
Mr Berry: On a point of order: That is not true.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: All right, Mr Berry. Perhaps you should just stick to the relevant points, Mr Humphries. What Mr Berry has done in the past in relation to other matters is not relevant to the point in question. Certainly, Mr Berry's point of order is not a point of order. Carry on, Mr Humphries.
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Deputy Speaker, I think it is most unfortunate that, as I said, Mr Berry has used this opportunity, but I will answer his points very briefly. There is no cover-up going on.
Mr Berry: Why have I not got the answers? Give me the answers?
MR HUMPHRIES: I should point out that Mr Berry constantly changes the question that he wants to get answered.
Ms Follett: He is trying to get an answer. He is desperately trying to get an answer.
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Berry gets plenty of answers from this Government.
Ms Follett: No, he does not.
MR HUMPHRIES: He has lots and lots of answers from this Government, but he is never satisfied with what he gets. That is the fact of life, Ms Follett.
Mr Deputy Speaker, Mr Berry was on radio this morning saying that he had asked for waiting list figures for November and December some time ago and he had not received them. That was not true. He had received the information. Mr Duby had given him that information. He received it some time ago, in fact, while I was overseas. That is a fact of life. If that is not the case, Mr Berry, then come forward and show what it was that you were given, and point out where it was not accurate, in terms of what I have just said. We know that it was accurate.
Mr Deputy Speaker, those opposite like to pretend that they have some issue by the throat here; they are going to constantly flog it for the next few months. But we know that there are much more complex ways of looking at these matters which more accurately reflect the reality of our hospital system. I would be happy to quote or table some figures on the next occasion that indicate that there are very clear trends in Australia towards declining bed days in Australian hospitals and increasing admission numbers in line with population increases.
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