Page 237 - Week 01 - Thursday, 18 February 1993
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On the issue of a patients charter, it is expected that this might involve broad circulation of a pamphlet or brochure which sets out the national policy and some specific features of accessing public hospital care in the ACT. The ACT is also in favour of the introduction of planning of health services to meet specific health goals and targets to ensure the most appropriate focusing of resources, thereby reducing inequalities in health status. Inequalities in health status are not something the Liberals would worry about because that is the basis of what they intend to do with our health system if they were ever to implement their policies. The Liberals opposite try to minimise the impact of the changes a Liberal government at Commonwealth level would make to health funding. As I have already pointed out in the Assembly, the $8 billion of cuts planned under the Fightback package will mean that over $70m will be slashed from ACT health grants.
Mr De Domenico: That is not right.
MR BERRY: I have it on good authority, Mr Deputy Speaker. Who would know more about health than the Minister, Brian Howe? While the Opposition may have pledged not to dismantle Medicare, some of their other policy changes may have a significant impact on the cost of health to individuals and to States and Territories - policies which will add $22 per week to health costs for Australian families. They never said a word about that. They will cut out $17m. They know that low income earners who go into private hospitals will pay as much as $100 a day over their basic private hospital insurance - forced into that private hospital care by the Liberals opposite as they rip off the public hospital system.
Mr De Domenico: That is absolutely wrong and it is also a stupid thing to say.
MR BERRY: No, that is exactly what you are entitled to do.
Mr De Domenico: You are the only one who forces people to do things.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Are we having a ministerial statement here or are we debating the issue? Might I suggest, Minister, that you stop being provocative and go on with your ministerial statement. Might I suggest to the Liberals that they stop interjecting.
MR BERRY: I am shattered at the suggestion that this has been without provocation. One only has to drag oneself to one's feet to get a bit of provocation from the other side and warm the debate up, Mr Deputy Speaker. It is always a pleasure to hand out one or two to members opposite because they deserve it.
In the debate on 14 February 1993, Mr Keating, the Prime Minister, argued that a Hewson government would significantly reduce health funding to States. Another of their policy changes would involve applying the Australian Medical Association's fee schedule to general practitioners' fees, which would result in greater financial benefits to doctors at increased cost to consumers. There is no question about that. Again, every time you stick your hand in your pocket Mr Hewson's hand is going to be in there too. Every visit to the family GP would cost you another $12, and low income earners would have to pay $100 per day above basic private hospital insurance benefits. That is the only place they will have to go because there will be massive defunding of the public hospital system. They have declared it: $8 billion across Australia.
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