Page 2388 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 6 August 1991
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MR BERRY: You leave me plenty of targets, Mr Kaine. The first part of the question related to community nurses; the second part related to health centres; and the third was in relation to the dental service.
Community nurses play an important role in the delivery of health services directly to the community. Labor's commitment to the provision of non-hospital health services stands, and community nurses will always have our support in the delivery of those services. I cannot go into that issue in any more detail unless I have the specifics, Mr Moore; but I am quite prepared to talk to you further on the subject if you want to deal with specific matters in relation to community nurses.
On the subject of health centres, the Alliance Government made it clear that it was about to close a good number in the ACT.
Mr Humphries: Absolute rubbish!
MR BERRY: Mr Humphries is on the record as saying that Belconnen had too many health centres. There was some concern in the community at one stage about the closure of the Dickson Health Centre, but that had a reprieve under the Alliance Government. There was some concern about the closure of the Melba Health Centre, but after an outcry from the community in that area it was decided that they would back off on that.
Mr Duby: There was some concern about the Northbourne Flats, too.
MR BERRY: There was, indeed, as Mr Duby said, some concern about the Northbourne Flats; but the former Government backed off on that, too. There was concern about the Weston Creek Health Centre, but unfortunately the former Government had time to deal a severe blow to it and put in place measures which would make it almost impossible for any future government to reverse that closure. There was also the issue of the health centre at Tuggeranong. The former Government reluctantly opened that centre only when it was disclosed that it was idle. The people of Tuggeranong, whom Mrs Nolan tries to represent, did without it for an extensive period during the course of the Alliance Government.
The consolidation of health centres has been put on hold, and this Government will deal with the provision of services from community health centres in consultation with the community. We will not be riding roughshod over the community, as the former Government did, particularly those sectors that are least able to protect themselves, such as the aged. That is what the Alliance Government did with the aged of Weston Creek. They rode roughshod over them, closed their health centre and took services away. That is what the Alliance Government did and what this Government, the Labor Government, is charged to reverse, difficult
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