Page 3689 - Week 12 - Thursday, 13 October 1994
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would think that every time Mrs Carnell moaned about beds it meant that somebody was not being treated. As the number of beds has been diminishing over the years, the number of patients being treated has been increasing. If nothing else, it would be a good thing if we stopped this silly argument in the community about beds and the impact that they have on hospital services.
Mr Humphries agrees with me, I think. They are not the only measure. Other Health Ministers agree that they are not the only measure. Without any beds you cannot provide any services. There is an amount which, of course, is appropriate. It is the wrong thing to argue about. The argument has to be about the number of people who have been treated.
Mr Humphries: Answer the question.
MR BERRY: You did not know how many people were being treated when you were in opposition. You did not have a counterargument.
I heard Mr Moore say that he might even contemplate a censure motion of Mrs Carnell if she was recklessly putting this motion to the Assembly. In fact, for a fleeting moment, I thought that this might be something that I might do. I thought of moving:
That this Assembly censures the Leader of the Opposition for misleading the community on the impact of bed numbers on the provision of public hospital services.
Then I thought, "What is the use? It is not going to stop her". Would that stop her? It might not. I thought, "We have spent a whole heap of time on this issue. To go down that path might further extend the debate and might not change things out there". I hope that the community understands that the issue is not only about beds.
The Liberals have tried to put a nice spin on Mr Connolly's answers in this place. As is always the case in this place, Ministers take extra care when providing information to members of the Opposition. The Opposition's job is to try to shoot holes in us. You expect that. Of course, they see that as their job. Good on them, if they think that is the way that they will get themselves elected; let them point out to the community that they are very good at what they do. Particularly on this health issue, they are slowly being exposed; their actions are being exposed. They are farcical when it comes to this beds issue.
Madam Speaker, Mr Connolly has done what every Minister here does when questioned - he has provided the information to the best of his knowledge. In my view, there has been no attempt to misrepresent the position. If the Government said, "We are a good government", the Opposition would disagree and say, "You have misrepresented the position".
Mr Humphries: Yes.
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