Page 1839 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 1 May 1991
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opposite know, was the second letter on that subject I had signed to him, was forwarded back to the Board of Health. I thereafter met regularly with the chairman of the Interim Hospitals Board and subsequently of the Board of Health, and at no stage was - - -
Mr Berry: I raise a point of order. I think the Minister is answering the wrong question. The question is: Did he ever take up the Chief Minister's invitation to comment on his decision?
Mr Kaine: Whose question was it, yours?
Mr Berry: My point of order.
MR SPEAKER: I do not believe that that is a valid point of order. Please proceed, Mr Humphries.
MR HUMPHRIES: No, I do not think so either, Mr Speaker. The issue came back to the Board of Health; that is where the issue rested. It is a matter of regret to me that it did rest there, given the problems that followed. But I cannot help the fact that the matter was raised with the Chief Minister; a reply was received; it was sent back to the Board of Health. I did discuss subsequently with the chairman of the Board of Health, on several occasions, issues concerning the board and the operation of health services, and the issue was not raised.
Of course, the Enfield report makes a very pointed comment about how that came about. Those opposite, Mr Connolly in particular, have not mentioned that, but there is a very direct piece of comment in Mr Enfield's report on why further follow-up did not occur. I think that if he reads the report he will see why it did not occur and he will perhaps redirect his questions away from where they do not belong to where they should belong.
MR CONNOLLY: I ask a supplementary question. Does your failure to follow through the invitation to comment show that you do not have the interests of the Canberra community at heart?
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, there was no failure and, no, there is no indication of any failure to have the interests of the Canberra community at heart.
Mr Kaine: Mr Speaker, I request that any further questions be placed on the notice paper.
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