Page 4164 - Week 13 - Thursday, 25 November 1993
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Another matter was raised also in the article to which I referred earlier and which reported events in this Assembly. I had said in the Assembly yesterday that Dr Grahame Bates was among those who had organised this chaos by way of this hot line. Dr Grahame Bates said in the paper today that the comments represented an absolute outright lie. I then turned up a transcript of what Dr Bates said on the ABC yesterday. I quote: "I mean, I have been up all night trying to coordinate some sort of emergency service". Obviously he was the doctor who was on the emergency line.
These sorts of statements conflict with the ethics which these people are supposed to have. This has been an education to me. For all of my life I have heard doctors make claims about their commitment to their ethics, their commitment to treat patients. That cannot be reconciled with the events to which I refer. I can say in relation to at least one of those incidents that I will be referring the matter to the Medical Board, and I trust that it will be examined more closely.
Mrs Carnell: Where was the person with peritonitis you spoke about yesterday treated, Mr Berry?
MR BERRY: My understanding is that they were treated - - -
Mrs Carnell: In Canberra? Thank you.
MR BERRY: The fact is that services are being denied to patients in the ACT, and continually so. You would not tolerate them - - -
Mr Humphries: Not that one yesterday.
MR BERRY: They were denied for a time.
Mrs Carnell: You indicated that they were sent to Sydney.
MR BERRY: Would you allow your workers or contractors to treat your clients like that? No, you would not; you would sack them as quick as a flash. So, Ms Ellis, sadly I report that there is a campaign against patients continuing in the ACT. This morning, Madam Speaker, the matter was before the Industrial Relations Commission. My officers continue to talk with the AMA about some of the issues. I am prepared to discuss - - -
Mrs Carnell: Inflaming the dispute.
MR BERRY: I am not prepared to hide things while the doctors remain on strike and while patients are being affected. I am perfectly prepared to maintain the usual industrial silence on negotiations when people learn to behave themselves; but I am certainly not going to allow these sorts of things to go on quietly, without telling the people of the ACT. It would be dishonest of me not to tell them what was going on, and I am not prepared to do that.
Mr Humphries: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I ask that Mr Berry table the statutory declaration that he referred to in his remarks.
Mr Berry: I am not prepared to do that, Madam Speaker.
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