Page 4116 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 24 November 1993
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Let us look at that in the light of what Mr Berry has said at the Estimates Committee and also in this Assembly. Notwithstanding that our population is getting bigger, that we are paying more rates and taxes, that we are growing by close to 2 per cent, and that the ACT is the second fastest growing area in Australia - let us blow away all those sorts of reasons - Mr Berry still expects to treat only 50,500 patients this year. What a nonsense! In the first quarter already there is a 2.4 per cent increase. What Mr Berry says in this place is absolute and utter nonsense. It does not make sense. Any realistic person who knows anything about that would agree. What Mr Berry says in this place makes no sense whatsoever.
Let us go on a bit more. "Private health insurance does not worry me", says Mr Berry. Ms Follett, quite rightly, said, "We also have other obligations, not just to the people of the ACT, but in accordance with the Medicare agreement". I think the amount that we expect to get this year under the Medicare agreement is roughly $32m. Part of that agreement says that we look after certain patients from outside the ACT. Right at this minute not only people living in the ACT cannot line up to get into hospital or cannot be treated because of the VMOs dispute, but also other people outside the ACT. It is also affecting the amount of money that we may or may not get under the Medicare agreement. The bottom line is that we get deeper and deeper into trouble.
Let us have a look at some of the things that have been said. Mr Berry, as I said, comes into this place and says, "I am the world's expert on industrial relations". We heard Ms Follett say yesterday that she was the country's best Treasurer, or second-best Treasurer. She was alluding to her prowess as a Treasurer. Mr Berry comes in here and says, "Listen, I know everything about industrial relations". This is Mr Berry's version of industrial relations. I am quoting what Mr Berry said on the Matthew Abraham show:
Well, I guess it boils down to how long the VMOs are prepared to continue with their dishonourable behaviour.
So, once again, doctors are all dishonourable. He has not said that some of the VMOs are dishonourable; every VMO is dishonourable, according to Mr Berry. At question time and at other times today he cast certain aspersions against Dr Bates. He called Dr Bates all sorts of names. Every VMO, according to Mr Berry, is dishonourable. He has also used other words. He has called them leeches, and has said that they are putting their pocket before the interests of the people of the ACT. He has used those sorts of words and still comes in here and says, "This is the way I handle industrial relations in the ACT". What humbug, Madam Speaker!
What else has Mr Berry done? He has promised all sorts of things. He has promised a hospice. We are still waiting. He has dug his toes in. He talks about VMOs digging their toes in. He wants to put a hospice on the Acton Peninsula. Everybody in the world has told him that he cannot do it; but, no, Mr Berry continues to say, "No, that is where it is going to go. That is where it is going to be. If you do not like that, well, who cares, because I, Wayne Berry, am the Minister for Health and that is where I am going to put the hospice".
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