Page 440 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 2 March 1994
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Mr De Domenico: I take a point of order, Madam Speaker.
MR BERRY: I withdraw that. You are really fulminating. The top is going to blow right off shortly. The Leader of the Opposition has tried to create the impression that there is something wrong with the health system which has caused a crisis. Of course, that is not true. It is completely untrue and it is something that she cannot be allowed to get away with. I think the community are a awake-up to it.
Mr Humphries: You have been exposed, Wayne. You have to admit that.
MR BERRY: Mr Humphries now knows that his short period as Health Minister created a whole heap of problems for the health system. He now knows that we are doing much better. Last year we treated 50,500 people - something that he could never aspire to. (Quorum formed) There has been an across-the-board improvement in the operation of health in the ACT since Labor took office. There is no question about that.
Mr Humphries: What about the bed numbers?
MR BERRY: Mr Humphries screeches bed numbers again - an echo of Mrs Carnell. We do not treat beds. That should have sunk in by now. We treat people, and we are treating more of them. The outcome is that 50,500 people have been treated. That was never done in the past. There were over 400,000 occasions of service in outpatients. This is all great news about health in the ACT.
The ACT Labor Government made the decision about the clinical school. That was a great step forward and it will further improve the quality of care, which we have already improved, here in the ACT. The recruitment of academics and salaried specialists will continue. This is all good for public health care in the ACT and it will strengthen the public system. Of course, the Liberals want to tear it down. They have always wanted to tear down a strong public system. They see the public health system as a health system for the poor, not one for the broader community. They have been exposed on a number of occasions in relation to that and they have lost, and they ought to know it by now.
In relation to legislation, those health occupations amendments will come through this year, as well as the proclaimed places Bill which was an election promise by Labor before it came into office and is something that we take seriously. The Tobacco Act will be reviewed this year with a view to strengthening it because of some shortfalls that have been discovered. That is all important news in terms of providing better health care and better health out there in the community. We get no help from the Liberals on that score. We get the Liberals falling into line with the tobacco companies, and even promoting the consumption of tobacco with their silly notion that ventilation systems are a good outcome out there in public places. That is silly. They want to encourage people to smoke.
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