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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 9 Hansard (29 August) . . Page.. 2792 ..

MR HIRD: I ask a supplementary question. Could the Minister further inform the parliament as to how these figures compare with the State of New South Wales? That is the first one. I am surprised that Mr Berry is handing out chocolates. He did yesterday and it was a laxette. That is what he gave to Mr Baker.

MR SPEAKER: Order! The second half of the question is not answerable.

MRS CARNELL: Yes. Mr Hird, last week the New South Wales Government released its latest waiting list figures. When the Carr Labor Government came to office waiting lists stood at 44,707. No-one will forget the promise to halve waiting lists inside 12 months, Mr Speaker. In January New South Wales announced that they had reduced their waiting lists to 19,000.

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. I think it is a bit rich for members to be asking Ministers about the New South Wales Government. The Minister for Health is not responsible for what is going on in New South Wales. It is only about a matter which she is personally responsible for that a question can be raised.

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, speaking to that point of order: Members of the Opposition have asked questions throughout this week about the impact of a Federal budget. I think it is perfectly in order, since those questions were allowed, for Mr Hird's question to be allowed also.

Mr Whitecross: Mr Speaker, further to the point of order: Mr Humphries knows perfectly well that the questions we asked about the Federal budget related to the implications of the Federal budget for things for which the Ministers here are responsible. It is completely different.

Mr De Domenico: Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker: As Mr Whitecross would know, 30 per cent of the patients coming to Canberra hospitals come from New South Wales. Therefore, anything that happens - - -

Mr Whitecross: They are not in the New South Wales hospital system, then, are they?

Mr De Domenico: No; just sit down and listen before he takes over. Sit down and listen.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Settle down, everybody. Have a chocolate or something, like a cold shower.

Mr De Domenico: Mr Speaker, if Mr Whitecross had done his homework he would have realised that we are affected by what happens in the New South Wales health situation. If Mr Whitecross is not happy with the way his counterpart over there, Dr Refshauge, is doing things, that is his problem. I think the question Mr Hird asked referring to ACT Health is very relevant.

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