Page 37 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 7 April 1992
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MR CONNOLLY: Mr Kaine asks: Is there a relativity? During the corresponding period of 1 July 1990 to 17 March 1991 - the period of Mr Kaine's stewardship - there were 31 such incidents. Mr Kaine asks: Is there a connection between the Labor Government and armed robberies? If there is, Mr Kaine, the connection is that they have somewhat declined.
Of course, one incident is one too many. The police take these matters seriously, as does the Government. I can assure the Assembly, and through it the community, that we take this matter seriously. There is no increased overall rate of armed robberies in the ACT. The historic rate is rather cyclical. It has ranged from 50 to 60 incidents a year down to 30 incidents a year, with no particular pattern, and in the current period there have been somewhat fewer than there were in the equivalent period last year.
Hospital Services
MRS CARNELL: My question without notice is to the Minister for Health, Mr Berry. Can the Minister indicate whether the projected 4 per cent decline in activity levels for this budget year is likely to occur, and, if not, what implications this has for the projected need for hospital beds in our system?
MR BERRY: I thank the member for the question. Members who were here may recall that the Chief Minister stated in her 1991-92 budget speech that overall admissions will be at or above 1989-90 levels. The Government also signalled, Madam Speaker, that there would be substantial productivity improvements made throughout the year. These productivity improvements in fact eventuated and the public hospital system has been able, so far this year, to operate at an in-patient activity level that is 2 per cent above the 1990-91 levels and 6.2 per cent above the 1989-90 levels. What is most important in achieving this is that the Labor Government, as opposed to the Government headed by the now Leader of the Opposition, has been able to do this with the health budget being on track.
Mr Humphries: Except for the blow-out.
Mr Kaine: You call it supplementation.
MR BERRY: It makes them very twitchy, and I understand why they are twitchy. They have to be twitchy because they are extremely embarrassed about the abysmal performance that occurred in health under their ministry. Unquestionably, there has been a clear distinction between the way that the Labor Government has managed the hospital system, and in particular the budget, and that under the Liberals. We have consistently - - -
Mr Humphries: Are you going to answer the question?
MR BERRY: I have already answered the question.
Mr Humphries: A 4 per cent decline in activity levels. Are they going up or going down?
MR BERRY: The activity levels that have increased have been achieved within budget. There have been increases in activity levels and - - -
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .