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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 1 Hansard (19 February) . . Page.. 165 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

delivery of financial records to this Assembly; not as she said earlier today in question time, I think, it was on the issue of financial reporting. She said that the level of financial reporting had never been heard of before in this Assembly. Well, it had, but when Labor was in.

The Chief Minister's claim that she would provide open and accountable government is just another hollow promise. Every time I ask for health figures, I get attacked and insulted. Whenever I ask for health figures or any information on health, I get a great mouthful of insults from this Chief Minister; but I never get the figures.

Mr Humphries: We had no idea you were so sensitive.

MR BERRY: No, I am not sensitive. It is to Mrs Carnell's embarrassment that she spews forth insults each time she is questioned about her poor performance in the health portfolio - the worst performing budget management, Chief Minister, since this Assembly was first established. All of the insults might be a great media tactic; but I have to say that, at least for me and for the Labor Party, the bluster is starting to wear a bit thin. I suspect the same applies out there in the community.

It is time for a new approach. It is time to put up or shut up, and it is time to face scrutiny. One-line statements in financial reports that say, "No full year effect is expected at this stage", in relation to a reported overspend, are, frankly, just not good enough. I am sorry; I cannot take you on faith, given your past performance. It has been appalling. With this Chief Minister's record in Health, can she expect us to accept that reassurance? You cannot expect us to accept it because your performance has been so bad so far. It is not good enough that the Treasurer's own report shows that the Health Minister's budget is in deficit. That report is showing $15.9m overspent in Health, and a deficit of $13.6m. The report says that. In a briefing which was provided to the Leader of the Opposition, the executive director of the Office of Financial Management talked about $12.2m, which of course does not match the figures in the document, which go to $13.6m. These figures show that there was a potential overspend. Mrs Carnell says in her glib statement, "No full year effect is expected at this stage". I do not believe her. If it happens to turn out to be true, that will be a surprise for everybody; and we will rejoice in the surprise.

Mr Speaker, it is important that we adopt similar standards to those which Mrs Carnell adopted whilst in opposition. She was one for leaping on the Government about the supply of these figures. But the abuse that one receives when one raises the issues of this Minister's appalling performance in the management of the health portfolio is a diversion; it is never about answering the important questions that have been raised about what is going on in the system. This is a serious matter, but this Minister - - -

Mr Humphries: It is rubbish.

MR BERRY: Mr Humphries interjects, "It is rubbish". It was not rubbish when he supported similar motions from his own leader in the past. This Minister has mismanaged almost every aspect of the health portfolio - from dogs being treated in the Woden Valley Hospital to the spiteful sacking of the acting director of mental health. There is not much left for this Chief Minister to mismanage.

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