Page 947 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 30 March 1993
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Mr Connolly: And Bob Woods is history.
MR BERRY: Bob Woods is history; thank you. Kate Carnell is left carrying the bags, and may she carry them forever. I will continue to remind her and all of her Liberal supporters about the support that was given to the Hewson-Howard health care policy which undid Bob Woods, and would have undone many Australians. At the end of the day, Madam Speaker, we are far better off as a result.
As for signing the agreement, or indicating earlier that we were committed to it, we had no problem with that because we knew that for the people of the ACT, and for Australia, the best course was to commit ourselves to Medicare. Labor was rewarded for that. The people of the ACT will be rewarded for it as well. (Extension of time granted) Madam Speaker, Mrs Carnell was critical of the principles and commitments of Medicare. One of the principles which they most opposed was the first one.
Mrs Carnell: I was not critical of them.
MR BERRY: You were critical of it.
Mrs Carnell: No, I was not.
MR BERRY: Okay, do you like this one, then? This is a bit of a contrast to what you have been saying. Eligible persons must be given the choice to receive public hospital services free of charge as public patients.
Mrs Carnell: That is right.
MR BERRY: You said that they have to be privately insured.
Access to hospital services is to be on the basis of political need. Fine. To the maximum practicable extent, a State will ensure the provision of public hospital service equitably to all eligible persons, regardless of their geographical location. The Commonwealth and State must make available information on the public hospital services eligible persons can expect to receive as public patients. The Commonwealth and States are committed to making improvements in the efficiency, effectiveness and quality of hospital service delivery. You say that you support - - -
Mrs Carnell: No problems.
MR BERRY: Well, why did you criticise me for committing myself to Medicare earlier?
Mrs Carnell: I criticised you for clause 6.
MR BERRY: Because of hypocrisy.
Mrs Carnell: No, because of clause 6.
MR BERRY: Hypocrisy got in your way; that is why. So, Madam Speaker, we have a situation here in the ACT where - - -
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