Page 2658 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 13 August 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
be required to meet expanded demand for public beds. At that time we will review the need for additional private facilities if, and only if, the market has failed to adequately provide them.
We accept the conclusions of the independent review concerning Calvary Hospital. The benefits of maximising its use as a public hospital have long been recognised. They were recognised under Labor as well. We had intended to continue with the occupation of Calvary Hospital, but felt that for the foreseeable future Calvary would be able to offer those private beds that it had been able to provide for some time. It is well located to meet the needs of the growing population of the northern suburbs. The hospital was designed and built to provide about 300 beds. Although it has been operating below capacity, it has long been known that it has been well maintained.
It is important, however, that as Calvary becomes a major part of Canberra's public hospital system there will be a need to more closely plan, coordinate and monitor Calvary's operations within the overall system, as happens in the New South Wales area health arrangements, for example. Catholic public hospitals in other States play a major role in the provision of acute public hospital services. There is considerable potential for the hospital to make a more significant contribution here.
Mr Humphries: You have changed your tune, haven't you?
MR BERRY: Mr Humphries says that we have changed our tune. I can tell Mr Humphries that if he had a look at our original plan in 1989 he would find that Calvary Hospital played an important role. Mr Humphries says that we have changed our tune. We have had to change our tune because so much of the community's money has been committed to his redevelopment project to rob Labor of the chance of keeping a fully operational community hospital at the Royal Canberra Hospital site.
It is well recognised that the fast-tracking was about the closure of that hospital. You cannot unscramble the eggs, as everybody knows. The Alliance Government made it clear that it was prepared to pour any amount of money into closing that hospital before Labor won the next election. There is no question about that. That is what they were on about. That was a public position.
We were robbed of the chance. These members opposite sabotaged our chances. I include the No Self Government members, who previously supported Labor's plan to maintain a hospital at the Royal Canberra Hospital site. I include the Residents Rally members, who previously supported Labor's commitment to maintain a hospital on that site. Indeed, it was only because those members changed their minds that that hospital had to close.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .