Page 1657 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 30 April 1991
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I want to go to the nub of the problem, Mr Deputy Speaker. All this is about the Minister's role in this matter. All this is about what the Minister is supposed to have done or not done. There are something like 70 pages of report here dealing with an issue which is entirely divorced from that. The Opposition have not once raised in this place the real issues that have been raised by the Enfield report. When are they going to get down to business? This is the real business facing this Territory: How to improve the financial management systems in this Territory. That is the real issue, and why have they not raised it? Because they are not interested. They would rather rake through the mud, find some cause to attack the present Government, and pin the blame on the present Minister. That is what they want to do. But it cannot be done, based on this evidence. I am sorry; you have missed out.
These are the real issues, Mr Deputy Speaker. I will quote from page 4 of the report where Mr Enfield is talking about the problems in financial administration. He said:
... that is evidence that senior managers have given insufficient attention to improving the process of management, particularly of financial management ... "current problems stem from a failure to invest appropriate resources in, and attention to, the finance function over the entire (health) service".
That is the nub of Mr Enfield's report. It makes very clear - - -
Mr Moore: On page 4?
MR HUMPHRIES: On page 4, yes. The fourth page of the report.
Mr Moore: It is not on page 4 in my copy.
MR HUMPHRIES: You must have different page numbers.
Mr Moore: Have you got an earlier version?
MR HUMPHRIES: This is the third page of the summary. All right. It is not page 4 in your copy. It is in my copy. The words are there, Mr Moore, I assure you.
That is the real issue facing this Territory at present, Mr Deputy Speaker. We have to get down to facing that problem, and that is what this Government is determined to do. Those opposite continue to distract attention from the real issue. They try to make it about personalities - me, or Mr Kaine, or Mr Enfield. While they continue to do that, of course, they distract attention from the real issue. I think that those opposite ought to understand that this issue is a very big one. It deserves all our
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