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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 9 Hansard (3 September) . . Page.. 2815 ..

Mrs Carnell: I will send a bill to the Prime Minister.

MR HUMPHRIES: The Chief Minister interjects, and it is not a bad point to make. We can send a bill to the Prime Minister.

Mr Berry: When was the last time the Prime Minister took any notice?

MR SPEAKER: Order! You have asked your supplementary question, Mr Berry.

MR HUMPHRIES: That is a very good question. Bear in mind that what we have here is not the usual kind of intergovernmental MOU. This is a contract, a signed, written contract which is enforceable in the courts of the land, and, as I have indicated already, if we do not get satisfaction I am not above trotting off to the Supreme Court and issuing a writ.

MR HIRD: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister and relates to the new 110-bed private hospital now under construction. As a member of an Assembly select committee currently conducting an inquiry into the new private hospital, I was concerned to hear media reports this week that the chair of the inquiry, Mr Berry, had vowed to do everything in his power to undermine the building of the new hospital. Jobs, jobs, jobs in the Canberra building industry, et cetera, Mr Speaker. Is the Government going to give in to these sorts of threats from Mr Berry, or do you envisage that the new private hospital project will proceed as planned?

Mr Berry: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. Mr Hird heard wrong.

MRS CARNELL: Mr Berry, just sit down. I would like to thank Mr Hird for this question because it is an important one.

MR SPEAKER: Order, Chief Minister! Questions shall not refer to proceedings in committee not reported to the Assembly. I presume, Mr Hird, this was on radio. Where did you hear this?

Mr Hird: On one of the radio stations, sir, and I also heard it last week on another radio station. I can identify the radio stations if you want me to.

MR SPEAKER: All right.

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I, too, was extremely concerned to hear on radio 2CC earlier this week the new Leader of the Opposition, Mr Berry - the man we now know is focusing on the core issues of jobs and health - quoted as saying he had "vowed to do everything to undermine the building of a new private hospital in Canberra".

Mr Berry: No, that is not true.

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