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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 7 Hansard (19 June) . . Page.. 1908 ..

Mr Hird: Mr Speaker, I take a point of order. The question that the Chief Minister is answering is of some concern to members within this chamber and also to the community at large. Mr Berry may not wish to hear the answer. Mr Speaker, the people opposite in this chamber would be well advised to adhere to standing order 61.

MR SPEAKER: I uphold the point of order. Continue, Chief Minister.

MRS CARNELL: Thank you very much. Mr Speaker, the creation of an adolescent area at Woden Valley Hospital was an election promise of this Government, and we will deliver it in a few weeks' time. But we are not the only government to have promised such a service to better look after younger Canberrans who are unlucky enough to find themselves needing hospital care at some stage. You can read the Labor Party's 1992 election platform where it says that an ALP government will open an adolescent ward at Woden Valley Hospital to cater for the special needs of young people and to provide them with support and company of their own age. Mr Speaker, we all know that it never happened.

In September 1992 the then Health Minister - wait for it - Mr Berry, no responsibility Mr Berry, supported a motion by Ms Szuty for the establishment of an adolescent area. What happened, Mr Speaker? Nothing. A big fat nothing. In September 1993 Ms Szuty asked Mr Berry whether there had been any progress made. Mr Berry replied:

We have, on reflection, had discussions with an interest group concerned with that particular issue. I understand that discussions have proceeded on the basis that at some point in the redevelopment project further provision will be made within the project for that sort of service.

Remember those words "further provision will be made". Time after time Mr Berry came in here and said basically, "We will get around to it". Mr Speaker, they never got around to it. Five years after Mr Berry started to talk about it, we on this side are actually going to do it.

Mr Speaker, I think one of the things that it is important to do when answering this question is to acknowledge the input that Ms Szuty made to this project. Ms Szuty was a member of the last Assembly and I certainly plan, if I can, to get in contact with her over the next few weeks - Mr Moore might be able to help me there - because I think she really should play some part in the opening of the adolescent area. She was quite dogged when it came to this issue and really did push it along. Unfortunately, she could not push it fast enough or hard enough for anything serious to be done. Mr Speaker, I am delighted that at least six beds dedicated to adolescents will become available at Woden shortly, because there is definitely a need for this service. It is long overdue. It was promised and promised by the previous Government and absolutely nothing happened. You only have to look across the chamber to see why nothing happened.

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