Page 1425 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 17 April 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Mr Humphries: You are wrong.
MR BERRY: Why bother having the Gazette?
Mr Humphries: It is not to do with the Board of Health; it is to do with the Health Services Act.
MR BERRY: You will have your chance. The record shows that he was relieved from financial control early in March and that a new financial controller was put in on or about 23 March, but the gazettal of the Board of Health fees on 28 March is signed by Mr Bissett. You cannot deny that, Minister. You can say what you like; it is getting to the stage that everything you say is taken with a grain of salt out in the community because of the mismanagement and diversions which have occurred in the whole public relations process which is associated with the disasters in our hospital system.
What this boils down to is that there is a great level of confusion which could lead to challenges to the fee schedule. If the Minister is to be believed - and I have already made some comments about the likelihood of that - then Determination No. 8, which I referred to, is questionable. That is to say, if the financial powers of Mr Bissett have been taken away from him, according to the Minister, then the determination mentioned in the Gazette is invalid and it is open to legal challenge. It is as clear as that.
So, that is why this motion has to be carried. The determination needs to be withdrawn. The powers need to be transferred under the provisions of the Act to an acting chief executive, and the fees and charges gazetted in accordance with the Act.
Motion (by Mr Humphries) proposed:
That the debate be now adjourned.
MR SPEAKER: The question is: That the debate be adjourned. Those of that opinion say Aye, of the contrary No. The Ayes have it.
Mr Berry: The Noes have it, I think.
Members interjected.
MR SPEAKER: The question is: That the resumption of the debate be made an order of the day for the next sitting.
A vote having been called for and the bells having been rung -
MR SPEAKER: Order! Members, from the debate on the floor that I have overheard, I believe that there is some concern as to what we are about to vote on. You have already
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .