Page 4547 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 20 November 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
number of occasions by the chairman of the board that the political interest in the affairs of the board is damaging to the management effort of the board. It is my preference - - -
Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, I take the usual point of order. My question was: How much have we spent so far this year and will he share the monthly updates? I have had no answer to that question as yet and no sign of going to that answer.
MR SPEAKER: Please draw to a conclusion, Mr Berry.
MR BERRY: The board themselves, Mr Speaker, have expressed a view about the provision of those figures on a monthly basis. In relation to the monthly figures, the answer is no, I will not automatically share those with the Assembly. The board chairman has asked me not to do that. I think Mr Humphries' board has a right to manage the hospital system within the borders of the legislation which has been provided. No other organisation has been asked to provide monthly reports on how they are coping in a yearly budget, and I think it is unreasonable for members of this Assembly to expect the Board of Health to do so. What was the other question?
MR HUMPHRIES: I will ask a supplementary question. I might put it in an easier way for the Minister to understand. He was not able to tell us how much we have spent so far against the appropriation. I will ask instead: Has the amount spent so far this year in health exceeded the amount appropriated in the Supply Act, which runs until the end of November? I also ask the Minister to explain what he meant by the phrase "signs of trouble in the health budget". I think that was the phrase. Could he explain what he meant by that remark?
Mr Berry: When did I make that remark?
MR HUMPHRIES: Just a moment ago. I think "signs of difficulty" is what you said.
MR BERRY: The management of hospitals has always been in difficulty and, as has been said, $17m is a significant sign of some difficulty in management of our hospital budgets. As you would appreciate, Mr Humphries, having not done too much about it during your period of government, this Government has moved very quickly to demonstrate that it is on top of it. We have given you an indication that we are on top of the issues. The board has indicated that it is prepared to work to the Government's budget and I, for one, am not going to interfere or allow this Assembly to interfere on a day-to-day basis with the management of the board. The board is entitled to expect some confidentiality with its management processes. It wants to manage its budget in a way that it thinks fit. I think it should be allowed to do so without political interference from this Assembly.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .