Page 3871 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 16 October 1991
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MR JENSEN (5.10): I want to speak very briefly on this. I think it would be appropriate that we kick all these amendments into touch, possibly with the exception of Mr Moore's, but specifically the amendment proposed by Mr Connolly. If we deleted "Government's" from the motion, there would be no argument that the committee has a requirement to investigate and consider all the matters raised. In the Health Services Act, No. 62 of 1990, section 6(3) says:
The Board shall perform its functions in accordance with any directions given by the Minister.
So, it is the Minister who effectively drives and directs the functions and operations of the board. The board has certain powers to do things, but it is the Minister who has the overall responsibility. As has already been said in this place on a number of occasions, it seems to me that, both here and in the Estimates Committee, listening to Mr Berry answering questions, he is really trying to hide behind the board. Mr Berry has said to the Board of Health, "Here is an amount of money. That is all I am going to give you. There is no more. Now, you do it".
Mr Berry: You have got it wrong.
MR JENSEN: That is certainly the way it has come across. On that basis, it is not the Board of Health that is making the cut; it is effectively Mr Berry, as Minister, who was responsible for developing that allocation of funds for the operation of the health services budget in the ACT. It is his responsibility and his alone. He cannot hide behind the board. The buck stops with Mr Berry, not the Board of Health. Behind Mr Berry's desk there should be a sign that says, "The buck stops with me". That is the way it works, and I suggest that he take full note of that.
Mr Speaker, I am not sure whether it is appropriate for me to move an amendment to delete the last four words of Mr Connolly's amendment. Would that cause any difficulty?
MR SPEAKER: You can amend the amendment if you wish, Mr Jensen.
MR JENSEN: I move:
Omit ", substitute 'Board of Health's".
MRS NOLAN (5.14): I will be brief, Mr Speaker. I am glad that this morning I opposed the gag because I believed that there were other members who wanted to speak on this matter, and certainly that has proved to be the case. One amendment was put up by Mr Connolly before the gag was moved, but since that point another amendment has been moved by Mr Moore and another by Mr Jensen. I am wondering whether any more are going to come forward. It has taken a little while to think this through and it has taken a little while to come to some consensus on the motion.
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