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MRS CARNELL: The other issue that was raised was whether the non-government sector would be given preference. When I made the comment about all things being equal I was not only talking about money; I was talking about quality of care as well. Obviously, when we determine who will be able to take over the nursing home, quality of care as well as the money involved would be an issue. I am very happy to give the undertaking to the Assembly that the non-government sector will be given preference in this area. They do a very good job in Canberra.

Mr Berry: Will the profit sector be ruled out?

MRS CARNELL: No, the profit sector will not be ruled out. I made it clear to Ms Tucker and Mr Moore this morning as well that we would not rule them out; but the non-profit sector would be our preferred option.

MR OSBORNE (12.28): Mr Speaker, I suppose the big question is whether the private sector will provide a better quality of care at Jindalee than we have already with the government sector. In relation to the motion, Mr Speaker, I am not prepared to support it at this stage.

Mr Berry: It is too late once it has gone, Paul.

MR OSBORNE: No, it is not. I am not prepared to support the motion, Mr Speaker. I am prepared to allow the Government the opportunity to convince me that the private sector will provide a better quality of care at Jindalee. I have not had the opportunity to go around to any of the private nursing homes in Canberra to see for myself just what is the situation - neither the for-profit nor the not-for-profit organisations. That is something I intend to do.

There is one big issue that is burning in me at the moment. I attended, with Ms Tucker and with Mr Moore, at Jindalee yesterday. The decision to sell Lower Jindalee was made last year prior to my coming here. I am not going to stand here and condemn anyone on the basis of who made the decision because I, frankly, do not know. I was stunned, Mr Speaker, that some of the residents I met living in Lower Jindalee, who are faced with the prospect of losing in a little over 12 months what is really their home, and what has been their home for a long time, have no idea where they are going. Mr Speaker, this situation, more than anything, is absolutely unfair.

I am not going to stand here, Mr Speaker, and blame anyone, but I think that that is a situation that needs to be rectified immediately. There are old people there who have served their time and have worked their whole life, and they are now in a situation where their home is being taken out from underneath them. I ask anyone in this Assembly whether they would like to be in their shoes, faced with that situation, not knowing where they are going to live. They do not know whether they are going to have their own room. They have been living in single rooms. That really disturbed me more than anything else.

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