Page 2638 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 25 August 1993
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Why do they want to see it here now? Has the Minister provided one rule, or one set of policies, or one face for the Labor Party in this Territory at election time and another when it is now in government? You can certainly say the same about the Federal Labor Government. We have seen some changes since the last Federal election, and the same question has now arisen with respect to the ACT Government.
I do not think that we have a mandate for this kind of change. Madam Speaker, I want no part of this decision. I hope that other members of this place will join me in dissociating themselves from this abuse of our responsibility as custodians of the public good. Taxpayers of the ACT want solutions to basic health problems such as waiting lists and hospital beds. The provision of abortion facilities at an initial cost of $100,000 to the taxpayer - perhaps much more - defies the needs of an efficient health system. Mr Berry is placing more priority on conducting abortions than he is on reducing the public waiting lists in our hospitals.
Madam Speaker, $100,000 would go some way towards making available valuable space in public hospitals to treat some of the patients requiring surgery. One hundred thousand dollars would also go some way to reducing the average six months waiting list for public dental care. One hundred thousand dollars would provide badly needed beds in our nursing homes. Madam Speaker, the taxpayers of Canberra want from their government the basic provision of health services. Leaving aside the argument about an abortion clinic's rights or wrongs, the expenditure of government money on the project means that other more basic health care services are not being adequately provided. If members of this house really think that the best possible use of that $100,000 is the provision of an abortion clinic, then I suggest - indeed, I invite them - that they oppose and vote down this motion.
Mr Berry: What a hypocrite!
MR HUMPHRIES: If they believe, as I do, that there are other priorities which are more important, which have an infinitely greater call on our compassion, then they should vote to support this motion. Madam Speaker, that is the conclusion of my remarks. I would ask, however, that Mr Berry withdraw the expression "hypocrite".
MADAM SPEAKER: I think we have allowed that in the past. I will check on that. I will come back to that.
MR BERRY (Minister for Health, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Sport) (11.04): Madam Speaker, one would never have thought that Mr Humphries had once been a Health Minister, because for the short time that he was there he learnt nothing. I have to say that the smell of hypocrisy ladens the air and it burns the nostrils when one is faced with the approach that has been taken by the Liberals opposite. Mr Humphries himself provided public money for the provision of terminations within a public health facility. Mr Humphries did that. Mr Kaine signed the cheque - that is two - and Mrs Carnell has said:
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