Page 2489 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 23 August 1994
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MS FOLLETT: The answer is no, Madam Speaker. I do not know how many times I have to say it. The gossip that Mr Humphries and his colleagues seem to want to give voice to and perpetuate is gossip. That is the beginning and the end of it as far as I am concerned. The decisions that were made, as I have said, were made after due process, after a process of advertising and selection. They were decisions which were the Government's to make, they were made quite properly, and they have resulted, in my opinion, in the best appointments to each of those available positions.
Madam Speaker, I think it is a great shame that the Opposition is going to continue this line. They did it before, with the appointment of Ms Cheryl Vardon as the chief executive officer of the Department of Education. They continue to try to besmirch people's character in a way that I find quite disgraceful. They have not come up with anything other than gossip on any of these occasions. It is a reprehensible way to behave. I believe, Madam Speaker, that we all ought to be doing our very best to ensure that the ACT Government Service, the new Government Service, has every opportunity to get on with its job without this political interference, without this name-calling and without this gossipmongering. If that is the way the Opposition want to play it, Madam Speaker, I think they ought to be warned that they have set the benchmark in this business. They are the ones who have continued to play the individual every time. It is not an approach that I have ever taken in this place; but, if that is to be the way of the future, I think they ought to be warned that we can play it back.
MADAM SPEAKER: Members, before the next question, I remind you of the rules for questions. Standing order 117(c) says:
Questions shall not ask Ministers:
(i) for an expression of opinion;
... ... ...
That is just a reminder.
Department of Health - Information Technology
MRS GRASSBY: Madam Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Health. Can the Minister advise the Assembly of any significant improvements in the department's information technology which may have occurred in recent months?
MR CONNOLLY: Madam Speaker, there have been some very significant developments in ACT Health in the period in which the Assembly has not been sitting which are consistent - - -
Mr Kaine: Yes, the waiting lists have got longer.
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