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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 4 Hansard (8 May) . . Page.. 1139 ..

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I have to ask - - -

MR SPEAKER: Order!

Ms McRae: From little, quiet Mr Humphries!

MR HUMPHRIES: I did not say anything during his speech.

Ms McRae: You did so. Kate did not stop, and you did not stop much either.

MR HUMPHRIES: I see. Revenge is at its best served cold. Mr Speaker, I simply say to the Assembly that Mr Berry can have his inquiry; but I have to ask the Assembly very seriously: Do we feel that Mr Berry, who is obviously going to sit on this inquiry, is going to approach this matter with an open mind? We have had here today the usual diatribe against anything private, and Mr Berry says, "Let me sit in judgment", probably "Let me chair an inquiry into private hospital beds in the ACT, and expect me to come up with a balanced, unbiased report". With the greatest of respect, I find that very hard to believe.

Mr Berry: You will have a member on the committee.

MR HUMPHRIES: Yes, that is right; but, if you want to chair the committee, Mr Berry, can we expect a balanced look at these matters, or are you going to say to anyone who comes in the door, "Private bad; public good", and that is it - closed mind, nothing further to talk about?

Mr Berry: I would not get away with that. I think your member on the committee would dob me in if I did that.

MR SPEAKER: It sounds like Animal Farm, actually.

MR HUMPHRIES: It does, indeed, sound very much like Animal Farm. Mr Berry would never have read Animal Farm, so he would not understand the allusion, Mr Speaker. He would not have read anything by George Orwell, so I doubt that he would understand the reference.

MR SPEAKER: I do not know; there were porkies in there.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, we know what we are talking about. So, I say to the Assembly: Just beware. Let us not make this inquiry completely pointless from the start. Let us not try to wind back what everybody in public and private health management in this country knows is a necessity; that is, a balance between public and private health systems. Let us not undo the good work of people like - - -

Mr Berry: Did you study George Orwell? Is that what happened to you?

MR SPEAKER: Order! It really is absurd.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I really think I need a bit more protection.

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