Page 2030 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 28 May 1991
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Particularly, they show that admission rates are a rather better measure of the efficiency and productivity of our hospital system than bed numbers. The basic reason for this, of course, is that, while numbers of people who use hospital services are going up all the time, there is also a trend downwards in bed days matched by a trend upwards in admission rates. What that means, of course, is that it is possible for the same hospital bed to service more people over a period of a year or a month, whatever the period might be. That throws down the question of whether we should be looking at bed numbers as opposed to some other indicator.
I will table these indicators. I can inform the Assembly that the average admissions per month for the period from July last year to March of this year were 3,418 - an improvement of nearly 4 per cent on the monthly average between July 1989 and June 1990. Clearly, Mr Speaker, that goes some way towards easing the problem of bed shortages in various specialties at various times. I present the following papers:
Hospital admissions and bed days -
Admission rates at Royal Canberra and Calvary Hospitals.
Projected trends 1992-2001.
Commercial Rents
MRS GRASSBY: My question is to the Chief Minister. When is the Government going to act to prevent the upward spiral of commercial rents in the Territory?
MR KAINE: That implies that there is an upward spiral in commercial rents in the ACT. There is a steady increase, just as there is in the CPI and other economic indicators. Quite frankly, this is not a socialist government. I do not think that there is a place for government to intrude between two parties to a tenancy agreement, or any other kind of agreement. If people have difficulty negotiating their leases, there are all sorts of remedies available to them. I do not think that it is appropriate for government to legislate to intrude between two parties to a contract. I do not know quite what you expect the Government to do. I suppose I know what you would do.
Mr Duby: They would do nothing.
MR KAINE: That is right; like they did before. Either that, or they would overreact and heavy hand business so that the whole economy fell apart at the seams. And if you - - -
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