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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 10 Hansard (4 September) . . Page.. 3046 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

This was said by the Labor Health Minister. It is very interesting. Yes, Mr Berry, your own Government said that. Let me repeat those statements for the cheap seats opposite there:

... some of those beds that are now maternity will be used for other purposes ...

What has happened to births at the public hospital since the 55 maternity beds were opened at Calvary Hospital and John James Hospital? Two things have happened. First, the number of births shot up dramatically at the two private hospitals. Secondly, the number of births in our public system dropped by a staggering 624, or 15 per cent, in the last 12 months alone. There was a 15 per cent fall in demand, Mr Berry, exactly as your Health Minister of the time predicted when he opened those nasty, evil, private beds - those nasty, horrible things opened by the previous Labor Government.

When these beds were no longer in demand at Canberra Hospital, what did we do? Mr Speaker, we did exactly what Mr Connolly said he was going to do; we redirected resources to where they were most needed. Where was that? An adolescent ward, Mr Speaker. That was something that Mr Berry had been promising for about seven years, I think, and never managed to do. Probably Mr Connolly was planning to open one eventually by doing exactly what we did, but we will not get into that right now. But that did not stop Mr Berry. Mr Speaker, this must surely rank as one of the most stupid comments I have heard in years and I think it is important that members listen to this. Let me read from what Mr Berry said in the press release. Just listen to this:

It has reached the ridiculous situation where women's delivery procedures are being delayed because of this reduction in beds.

Mr Speaker, here we have an MLA and shadow Health Minister claiming that pregnant women are being forced to delay their birthing procedures. Mr Berry, what do we ask them to do? Cross their legs? Mr Speaker, I will also quote this statement by Mr Berry in that press release:

This uncaring minister is acting to force Canberrans into expensive private care where at Calvary and John James Hospitals bills of thousands of dollars are not uncommon for care which should be available at no cost at our public hospitals.

Mr Berry, I did not open the 55 private maternity beds in the hospital. Your Government did. Do you not support choice for women in Canberra? And is Mr Berry calling Mr Connolly an uncaring Health Minister, because it certainly was not we who opened those beds?

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