Page 2659 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 13 August 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
The Government is committed to creating a public hospital system which is available to every single member of the community. I plan to continue to maintain, improve and provide resources to secure a high quality public hospital system. I present the following papers:
Hospital Redevelopment Program - Feasibility study -
Ministerial statement, 13 August 1991.
Volume 1, July 1991.
Volume 2, July 1992.
I move:
That the Assembly takes note of the papers.
MR HUMPHRIES (3.49): We have heard a quite extraordinary statement from the Minister today, backing and filling, apologising, trying to justify, trying to retract. I do not think anybody here is convinced by this pathetic performance by the Minister, and I am quite certain that many in the community will not be.
Mr Berry declined to answer a question on this statement during question time, despite the fact that he had already released this statement, including the text of his speech, to the media at 1.30 this afternoon. He told the Assembly, in answer to my question, that he would be touching on the number of private and public hospital beds in the course of his statement. I think it should be noted in the record that he has not done so. He has arguably misled the Assembly in that regard, and he should acknowledge that fact when he rises to round off this debate.
Mr Berry has announced plans to do a number of things. He intends to close the Royal Canberra Hospital North.
Mr Berry: Mr Deputy Speaker, I raise a point of order. It has been alleged that I arguably misled the Assembly. I require that that be withdrawn.
MR HUMPHRIES: On the point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker: When I asked Mr Berry in question time how many beds there would be in the system by the year 2000, he said, "I will touch on that in my statement this afternoon". He has not got anywhere near touching on the number of beds in the public and private hospital systems by the year 2000. He therefore misled the Assembly in saying that he was going to do so in the course of this debate.
Mr Berry: I require that to be withdrawn, Mr Deputy Speaker.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, I would ask you to withdraw that, Mr Humphries. I am not of the view that you can say that he has misled the Assembly on that.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .