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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 2 Hansard (28 February) . . Page.. 395 ..

MS FOLLETT (continuing):

Mrs Carnell, of course, has now completely abandoned that view. She has been as hypocritical in relation to that matter as she has been in relation to many other matters that we have seen the Government mishandle. I think it is very ironic, Mr Speaker, that the Liberals promised better management. They would use commonsense, they told us, not ideology, in their management of services. We heard Mrs Carnell say that she was committed to the provision of services. Of course, all of those statements were mere election time flim-flam. The facts of the matter are that since the Government came to power all of those promises have been abandoned in their entirety.

There are, in fact, no bulk-billing doctors in our health centres now. Mr Speaker, the reason there are no bulk-billing doctors in our health centres is the deliberate action of Mrs Carnell. She cannot blame anybody else for that. It was her action that brought about that situation. In fact, the salaried bulk-billing doctors were all sacked by Mrs Carnell. She cannot overcome that. Neither Mr Moore nor Mr Osborne can delude himself about the facts of that matter. We have seen the Melba Health Centre closed, despite the Liberal promise that no health centres would close. That was the election time promise - that no health centres would close. Mr Speaker, it is a fact that the closure of Melba Health Centre was a deliberate action taken by the Government in contravention of yet another of its election promises.

At election time Mrs Carnell promised that health care would be devolved closer to the people. That is yet another broken promise. Mr Speaker, we have seen one health centre close completely. How on earth that could be construed as devolving health care closer to the people I would not know. The services at other health centres have been downgraded, because there are no salaried doctors there. Mr Speaker, those broken promises impact most severely on families, disadvantaged people, the aged - all of those people who were depending most strongly on having those services in their community. There is no doubt about that. Mrs Carnell has completely misunderstood what bulk-billing meant to those people. She says that it means only that they have to come up with $9. It does not. It means that they have to pay the bill before they get their refund. Mr Speaker, Mrs Carnell clearly has no understanding of what it is like to live on a low income or what it is like to have somebody in the family who is chronically ill and has to go to the doctor time after time. Mrs Carnell, if she ever understood, has completely abandoned the needs of those people since she came to government.

Mr Speaker, I repeat that Mr Hird told the residents of Belconnen that it was only a short walk from Melba to Florey or to Hawker. Mr Speaker, I believe that that demonstrates the utter disregard of this Liberal Government for the residents in that area. I simply do not believe that it is in any way reasonable to say that those people could always walk. It is a real "let them eat cake" argument. It is a disgrace coming from members opposite. Mr Speaker, I believe that if Mr Hird had ever walked from Melba to Florey or to Hawker he would not have closed Melba Health Centre. He would realise that it is an incredible hike. If you are carrying a child or pushing a stroller or you are on a walking frame, it is an impossible hike. That was a heartless, thoughtless, careless comment that I believe condemns this Government.

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