Page 1628 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 30 April 1991
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environment more difficult for those people to bring down that report. I certainly think the task force has the right composition and make-up to bring down a good report on this important issue.
Hospital Services Budget
MR BERRY: My question is directed to the Minister for Health, Education and the Arts, Mr Humphries. Mr Humphries, the Enfield report's most notable feature is the absence of any specific instruction from you as Minister responsible for health to address the problems identified by the Follett Government Treasury review team - that was the Treasury review team that eventually reported to the Chief Minister, Trevor Kaine. Surely, as Minister responsible, the record should show an active interest in and clear directions concerning the health budget and its management, following the identification of major problems in this area and your public promises to correct them. Surely you should be seen to be doing something.
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Berry would obviously like to pretend that the ACT has been in some sort of time warp since the overthrow of the Follett Government in 1989, and, like it or not, that has not been the case. There have been a great many developments in the area of health of which I am very proud and which have addressed important issues based on the issues which appeared in the Treasury report in 1989.
First of all, let me say one thing very clearly. There was an earlier report which Mr Berry, I think rather callously, failed to make reference to during that question. That was, of course, the Kearney report on future directions in the hospital system. That report recommended very strongly that there be a strong overbridging committee or board to oversee the functioning of health and hospital services in the ACT. Mr Berry, of course, in his response to that recommendation shillyshallied, prevaricated on the appointment of that board, and dithered, and, in fact, at the end of the day was thrown out of office before he had reached a decision on that important issue, or at least - - -
Mr Berry: No, I had made a decision. I made the decision.
MR HUMPHRIES: I correct myself. He made a decision in the dying days of the Follett Government, as the lights were being turned out and as people were leaving. That was, of course, a very auspicious circumstance in which to make that decision.
Mr Berry: I raise a point of order concerning relevance to the question, Mr Speaker. The question specifically directs itself as to whether or not the Minister has given any directions or taken any particular actions in relation
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