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Cabinet Handbook . . Page.. 724 ..

Cabinet Documents - Confidentiality

MR WHITECROSS: Mr Speaker, my question is to Mrs Carnell in her capacity as Chief Minister. Mrs Carnell, were you aware of an annotated version of the document tabled by the Leader of the Opposition yesterday before it was tabled, or had you sighted it, or had you or your staff been briefed on its existence or contents?

MRS CARNELL: No, no and no.

MR WHITECROSS: I ask a supplementary question. Were you aware of the file copy of the document? If so, why did you allow Mr Humphries to breach the Cabinet Handbook and your own code of conduct by making use of it in the Assembly yesterday?

MRS CARNELL: Yes, I was aware of the file copy. In fact, I think the copy that Mr Humphries tabled in the house yesterday was actually my copy. So, I was aware of that. I think Mr Humphries adequately answered the second part of that question when the same question was asked by the former Chief Minister earlier.

Visiting Medical Officers - Contracts

MR CONNOLLY: Mr Speaker, my question is to Mrs Carnell in her capacity as Minister for Health and Community Care. On 2 May, in this place, I asked for a precise breakdown of the numbers of doctors who will change from fee-for-service to sessional contracts, and Hansard shows that Mrs Carnell promised to give me that information when the contracts are signed - that is, by 1 June. On that same day, in this place, Mr Wood asked for a precise breakdown in dollars of any changes from fee-for-service to sessional contracts, and Hansard shows that Mrs Carnell said:

... I will be very happy to make all of those figures available as soon as we get signatures on the dotted line.

Mrs Carnell, as it is now 1 June and we read in the paper that you claim to have all the signatures, when will this Assembly get this vital information?

MRS CARNELL: Mr Connolly would be aware that what I have said in this house also is that that information will be made available to the Public Accounts Committee. As he would be well aware, the contracts between private individuals and the ACT Government would be regarded as private contracts. But what I am very willing to do today, if the Assembly is interested, is actually table both the sessional and fee-for-service contracts that have been signed by various specialists. There are copies of both contracts there. As of today, over 80 per cent of VMOs have signed contracts, and the rest of the VMOs - apart from, I think, four, who have decided to retire at this stage - have indicated by telephone that they are actually going to sign. By now, they may have done so. So, we do believe that we have very close to 100 per cent of VMOs

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