Page 3092 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 17 November 1992
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No guess as to whom that was talking about. Page 20 of that report states:
The Committee was concerned that in this area -
namely, monthly financial reports -
where considerable financial problems have been identified in successive years, the Minister for Health chose to avoid answering direct questions on the financial control and management of the health budget. The use of such "stonewalling" tactics makes the work of the Committee almost nugatory.
That is what we said in 1991. My party did not control the Estimates Committee then; we do control the Estimates Committee now. The fact of life is that the adverse comments made of Ministers in this 1992 report are all entirely deserved. In fact, in many respects the comments made in the report we are now considering were restrained. Look at the record. I do not ask you to accept my interpretation of events. Look at the record. Look at the words that are quoted on page 5 of this 1992 report:
Mr Humphries: I am certain Dr Scott knows the answer to this question.
Mr Berry: I shall ask them in due course.
Here is the Minister sitting before the Estimates Committee of the Assembly, accountable under the Westminster system to members of the Assembly for his stewardship of that department, and he says, "I shall ask them later. I do not want to ask them now. I do not care to give you an answer". The quote continues:
Mr Humphries: All right, would you ask them now?
Mr Berry: No.
That, Madam Speaker, is a contempt of the process, and it is not atypical, as today's answer to the question by Mrs Carnell about what is happening in the health budget is a clear indication.
Mr Berry: What?
MR HUMPHRIES: You know perfectly well what I am talking about, Mr Berry. Do not look so coy and shy.
Mr De Domenico: What about the $8m deficit so far?
MR HUMPHRIES: The fact is that in many places this record speaks for itself. The transcript of this - - -
Mr Berry: More lies, Tony.
Mr De Domenico: On a point of order, Madam Speaker: Mr Berry was heard by everybody, I am sure, including you, to say, "More lies, Tony". I ask him to withdraw - - -
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