Page 4998 - Week 16 - Tuesday, 26 November 1991
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MR BERRY: You have blotted your copybook. The best thing you can do is shut up, because it will only get worse for you. Michael Moore, at least, has been consistent from the start; but he is starting to ignore history, which is a bit of a problem for him. The Liberals, on the other hand, have been consistent from the start - absolutely wrong; acting contrary to the best interests of the community; mismanaging health and hospital blow-outs; all that sort of stuff.
Now I come to the Appropriation Bill. At this late hour, all those things having been said, Mr Speaker, Mr Humphries has made some comments about the hospital system. Labor has moved quickly to impose a very tight budget on the hospital and health system. The hospital board, as I have said in the past, as he rightly has said that I have said in the past, has said that they will live within the budget provided by the Government and I will be holding them to it.
In relation to the figures that he mentioned, there was some huffing and puffing about that issue. I am mindful of what the Assembly said in relation to those figures. I am not going to forget it.
Mr Humphries: What does that mean?
MR BERRY: It means that I will remember it.
Mr Humphries: What does that mean? Are you going to provide them or not?
MR BERRY: That means that I remember it and it is clear in my mind. I can tell him that I have not got the figures.
Mr Humphries: Are you concerned about that?
MR BERRY: I have told you that when I get the figures I will give them to you within 48 hours.
Mr Humphries: Are you not worried about that, though?
MR BERRY: Okay; we will go into it a little bit deeper. None of this is going to be that helpful to your temperament, but I will go into it anyway. The motion that this Assembly passed has aggravated members of the board very seriously. I have a responsibility as a Minister to ensure that the management of the hospital system is carried out in a proper way. What I was deeply concerned about was that there may be some resignations from the Board of Health because of what might have been considered to be gross interference by this Assembly in the management of hospitals.
Mr Collaery: Ha, ha, ha!
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