Page 1793 - Week 06 - Thursday, 19 May 1994
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Mr Deputy Speaker, I want to conclude my remarks in this important debate by giving Mr Connolly some friendly advice. Mr Connolly, if you treat this portfolio as a bus depot you will crash and you will burn. There is no doubt about that. I think the Opposition needs to remind Mr Connolly of an incident at last year's Estimates Committee when his predecessor, Mr Berry, was asked to provide a list of areas from which $3m of savings would supposedly be achieved in 1993-94.
Debate interrupted.
ADJOURNMENT
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! It being 4.30 pm, I propose the question:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Ms Follett: I require the question to be put forthwith without debate.
Question resolved in the negative.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Discussion of Matter of Public Importance
Debate resumed.
MR DE DOMENICO: I want to remind you, Mr Deputy Speaker, of an incident at last year's Estimates Committee when Mr Berry was asked to provide a list of areas from which $3m worth of savings would supposedly be achieved in 1993-94. In his usual fashion, Mr Berry came back with 10 initiatives and gave one of his now infamous promises that the reductions would be made. Obviously, not one saving has been made. For all the rhetoric, Mr Berry and Mr Connolly are now staring down the barrel of a $9.7m blow-out, as I think Mr Connolly suggested in his remarks.
I and the Opposition urge the new Minister to put management of our health system first and ideology second if Canberrans are to have any confidence in our public health sector again. The quick grab and the hard-hat tours for the media count for nothing when nearly 4,500 Canberrans are waiting for surgery. In concluding my remarks, I agree that the health system will be fixed up only in a bipartisan way. The Opposition, through Mrs Carnell, has stated quite clearly that we are prepared to play the bipartisan game. We are refreshed by the fact that Mr Connolly, the new Health Minister, also appears to be heading in the right direction. We hope that he has the intestinal fortitude and, more importantly, the numbers to continue on that wonderful road. We look forward to working very closely with him for the benefit of the people of the ACT.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: The discussion has concluded.
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