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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 12 Hansard (19 November) . . Page.. 3709 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

misled it would have resigned. This Assembly found that Mrs Carnell misled it and she arrogantly ignored it. Those are the facts of the matter and they cannot be ignored. Tell me one parliament, Mr Humphries, where people would ignore being found guilty of misleading the Assembly. Mrs Carnell ignored it.

Mr Speaker, I would say to the Independents - they are important in the context of this censure motion - that they have to consider that censure motion as a serious issue on Mrs Carnell's form. They also have to consider the censure motion moved by Mr Osborne in respect of those medical officers as a serious issue on her form. They have to be taken into account when the Independents are coming to a decision on this issue. This Minister has proven that she is not up to the job. Mr Speaker, Mrs Carnell has survived these motions by her own arrogance.

The next example of the contempt in which the Minister holds the house was her treatment of the issues surrounding the health budget. The Minister came in on a promise to rein in health expenditure. Who will forget it; $30m in three years, $10m a year, and the criticism of health over all of her period in opposition and the promise to the people of the ACT. The promise was to cut all of these overheads by $30m. What have we got? I will come to that in a moment. She also announced, and was censured for it, that she had the VMO costs cut and in the bag.

Then there was the great consultancy, the million dollar consultancy that was going to pay a dividend of 8 to 1. Do you remember that one? The Booz Allen report was going to pay a dividend. We can afford the million dollars because we are going to get a dividend; it is a sure thing. This was the favourite, a sitter, Mr Speaker; and what did we get out of it? Not much. The Auditor-General showed in December that the VMO savings were illusory. Mrs Carnell had misled us again. The VMO budget had already blown out by $1.9m. So Mrs Carnell had misled us again, Mr Humphries.

Mr Humphries: Is this a history lesson, Wayne?

MR BERRY: This is a matter of form, Mr Humphries. Mr Speaker, that million dollar Booz Allen report has never delivered the promised savings. Instead, the ACT was faced with its first ever supplementary Appropriation Bill. The Chief Minister and Minister for Health asked for another $14.2m for her own health portfolio. I will tell you what; anybody sitting in this place - - - (Further extension of time granted)

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, might I just make a point about that? We have granted two members a second extension, namely, the mover of the motion and the person against whom the motion is directed. With great respect, we have a massive amount of business today. We are going to be here all day if every speaker gets two extensions and speaks for an endless period.

MR BERRY: I will move a motion.

MR SPEAKER: I accept the comment, Mr Humphries, but the fact is that I am in the hands of the Assembly if leave is granted. May I say that I do wish all members would tailor their speeches within the time limits available, but that is simply an observation on my part.

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