Page 2022 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 28 May 1991
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not. He took the prudent course. He discussed the matter with me; he was very prudent. As a result of those discussions we set the Enfield inquiry in place to find out just what was going on in the hospital system.
We got the answers, and the answers were that there was no management; there were no management systems; there was no management control. Having come to that conclusion, we then took further advice, and the Minister took further advice as to what he should do to rectify that. He is not a financial expert; he is not a - - -
Ms Follett: We believe that bit.
MR KAINE: Neither are you. I must draw attention to the fact that the former Treasurer, when confronted with a financial statement, wanted to know what the brackets around the figures were for - and she was the Treasurer. She has the effrontery to criticise Mr Humphries for not being a financial expert. There is no prescription that Ministers must ipso facto be financial experts; that is not what they are elected for and that is not what they are appointed Ministers for.
They are appointed to ministries because they have the capacity to manage something. If you want financial expertise, you hire it. If you want health expertise, if you want engineering expertise, you hire it. I do not happen to be an engineering expert either; but, if I need engineering advice, I go and hire that advice, just as you hired every element of expertise that you needed when you were a Minister because you are not an expert in anything.
You expect the Minister for Health to be an expert in finance. Of course, he is not. He takes advice. He did take advice; he has reached the proper conclusions; he is moving to rectify the situation in the health organisation. As I said before, if you have the good luck - and it will be good luck if you achieve it - to take government after the next election, just as you will inherit a very sound financial base for the next three years of government, you will inherit a very sound health system, properly managed and with proper financial controls and systems set in place. I think you should count yourselves lucky, and I think this community should count itself lucky, that we have a Minister who is prepared to face up to the issue, to face up to the issue that you would not face up to. He has done the job.
MR BERRY: I have a supplementary question. The question really is: How many budget blow-outs will the Chief Minister allow before he intervenes?
MR KAINE: The answer is none, Mr Berry.
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