Page 3060 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 10 September 1991
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Mr Deputy Speaker, nobody laboured over this decision more than I did and more than the Labor Party members did. We suffered a great deal of anguish about the issue; but it was a decision that we had to make in terms of a responsible approach to the expenditure of public funds. We knew that we would receive accusations such as those which have been made by Mr Moore; but we did not think it would be so easy to undermine them, because Mr Moore's statement is without base. His position is without base in relation to this matter of public importance. He has not made out his case. He has not demonstrated that he has taken a responsible approach in terms of delivering a hospital system in the Australian Capital Territory.
What we have to examine also, Mr Deputy Speaker, is what Labor has decided to do with the hospital system that we inherited from the former Government. Let us not forget that we inherited a labour force that was demoralised. We had a continuing dispute with the Australian Nursing Federation in relation to its terms and conditions during the course of the redevelopment project. In fact, there were bans in place when we took over government. I am happy to announce that today those bans were lifted. They were lifted because of Labor's special relationship with the trade union movement and our ability to negotiate reasonable terms on issues that should have been sorted out more than a year ago.
None of us will forget the massive industrial disruption that was caused when Mr Humphries attempted to attack what was described as the shift overlap in December and January of 1989 and 1990 respectively. That issue had not been sorted out until the bans were lifted today. I have to say, Mr Deputy Speaker, that it was a pleasure to deal with the Australian Nursing Federation in relation to the negotiations on that issue. I have to say, also, that the Australian Nursing Federation has a record for standing up for its members, but we are happy to negotiate with them on any issue at any time.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I think Mr Moore has not taken into account the great burden that Labor has been left with as a result of our inheritance from the Alliance Government. We inherited a hospital system which is suffering as a result of a spate of mismanagement in the financial system - mismanagement that had been pointed out by Labor when it was last in office and which had not been addressed by the Alliance Government. Those factors need to be taken into account when one considers this issue. Mr Moore has not done that properly.
For him to argue simply that it will cost $13m a year to keep Royal Canberra Hospital open with no additional quality in our services, in my view, Mr Deputy Speaker, does him no credit. I have to say that there is an opportunity here for a bright young lad to pick up a couple of votes around the electorate, but that has to be based on a sensible decision in relation to our hospitals.
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