Page 3106 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 20 September 1994
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health matters by him and his colleagues in opposition? Does the Minister recall, for example, Mr Berry's several questions about the case of a terminally ill man, needing oxygen, who was trying to avoid hospitalisation? Mr Berry said on 20 March 1991:
The man's health deteriorates further every day, and the high cost of this oxygen is mounting up. When will the Minister respond?
Can the Minister tell the Assembly why, for a Liberal member to ask a Labor Minister about a patient's personal case history is "a silly political stunt", but for a Labor member to ask a Liberal Minister the same question is in the public interest?
MR CONNOLLY: Madam Speaker, the first point I want to make is that I did not call Mrs Carnell a "silly woman". I said that she is a "silly person" and her policies are silly, facile and shallow. I would not use belittling, gender specific language in this place. I will rubbish the Liberals for being Liberals. Mr Humphries's little comment there reveals a certain Liberal view of the world.
The basic difference, I think, is that, in that case, the facts of that matter were well-known matters of public debate, known to the Minister at the time, who was you. You had the opportunity, as I understand the facts of that case, as Minister to address those specific constituent matters; whereas you raised matters which were completely unknown to me and not known to members, as though that was my fault. I note that we have 50,000 in-patient admissions every year; we have 80,000 emergency presentations a year; that is 130,000. I should, of course, personally be totally across the individual file details of every one of those citizens! Silly me for not doing it! If you expect me to look at constituent matters, as you know that I will, if you raise them with my office, we will pursue the matter. If you want to pursue general issues of policy, the Assembly is a great place to do it. If you want to pursue constituent matters with a view to assisting the constituent, you know that there is a process to do it; it is available through my office. I would urge you to do it. If you choose instead to play this silly, political game, that is the Liberals, I suppose.
Bushfire Prevention Measures
MRS GRASSBY: My question is to the Deputy Chief Minister in his capacity as Minister for Urban Services. With all the publicity lately about bushfires in New South Wales, what will the Government be doing about the dangerous threats of bushfires for our coming season in Canberra?
MR LAMONT: I thank the member for her question. It is appropriate, Madam Speaker, that we address this matter, particularly given the seriousness of bushfires that are currently spreading across New South Wales. I have taken the liberty today of providing to each member a copy of the information material provided cooperatively by a number of agencies in the ACT: The ACT Bushfire Council, the Australian Capital Territory Emergency Services and the ACT Fire Brigade. It makes very compelling reading, given those circumstances.
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