Page 445 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 24 February 1993
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MR BERRY (Minister for Health, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Sport) (3.20): Like every other health system across the world, the health system in the ACT faces challenges when it comes to funding. So I will ask for bipartisan support on health in the ACT. What I will ask for, first of all, is that those outrageous remarks that Mr Westende made about people's lives being in danger because of the state of the health system in the ACT be withdrawn immediately because they are clearly wrong. They are a scandalous, outrageous attack on the public hospital system and that is the same attack that has been going on relentlessly under the Liberals. Mrs Carnell has headed it up. That is why the board chairman resigned; that is why the deputy chairman resigned; and that is why the Liberals have tried to present the ACT public health system as being in a state of siege. It is all part of their tactics in the lead-up to the Federal election because what they want to do is to discredit the public hospital system.
Members interjected.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Mr Westende was heard in comparative silence and I would ask that the same courtesy be extended to the Minister.
Mr Wood: It is always like this.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: That goes for the Labor members as well.
MR BERRY: This is all part of the Federal campaign to discredit the public hospital system in order that they can sell the disgraceful handover of public hospital services to the private sector. Let us stop straightaway this nonsense about how much better off people will be if a Hewson government gets into power. They will be much worse off; there is no question about that. In the ACT in particular there will be $17m less available in our already stretched Treasury to fund public hospital services.
Mr Kaine: Are you going to say something about Dr Hewson having his hand in everybody's pocket? I would love to hear you say that.
MR BERRY: Mr Keating rightly said that Dr Hewson had his hand in - - -
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! I think that is provocative. I ask you to withdraw that comment about hands in - - -
Mr Kaine: Either both of us or none of us, Mr Deputy Speaker.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Firstly, I would ask you to withdraw the reference to Dr Hewson and hands in people's pockets. Secondly, I would ask you, as I am sure you intend to do, Minister, to direct your comments to the matter of public importance, which is "The continuing failure of the ACT Labor Government to confront the funding problems in health". I ask for a withdrawal about the hands in pockets.
MR BERRY: Mr Deputy Speaker, I make no imputation against members of this Assembly. If any of them feel impugned, I apologise and I withdraw accordingly. The ACT hospital funding depends heavily on funding from the Federal sphere, so it is important to raise these issues. When we know that a Federal Hewson government will result in a $17m cut in funding to the ACT, we know that it means big trouble to the ACT. It will cause us great difficulty when it comes to funding things like the breast screening program that I opened yesterday, because they are jointly funded programs
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