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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 11 Hansard (6 November) . . Page.. 3695 ..

MR MOORE (11.11), in reply: Mr Speaker, in some ways this draws a section of the Acton Peninsula saga to a close. Since self-government, the Assembly has wrestled with issues around the Acton Peninsula. It seems to me that the first and largest mistake was the decision to close the Royal Canberra Hospital. I still feel that was a mistake. The decision was taken by Mr Humphries. But the fact is that when Mr Berry became Health Minister he did a very quick swap of view from the one he had in opposition when he argued very strongly that we ought not to close the Royal Canberra Hospital. When he became Minister it was quite clear that he could have kept it open as a community hospital. He chose, instead, to go with the advice given by his bureaucrats and continue the process of closing the Royal Canberra Hospital. We then went through a whole series of concerns.

One thing on which I believe I have been consistent - and I must say that on this aspect Mr Berry has always been consistent - is that we have put forward the view that there should always be a health facility on the Acton Peninsula. It depends upon what you consider to be a health facility as to whether the nominated buildings - the National Museum and the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre - fit into that category. In my definition of health - - -

Mr Berry: Your creative definition of health.

MR MOORE: Mr Berry would be aware that my definition of health is the same as the definition put up by the World Health Organisation, which is probably not a bad definition. I accept that Mr Berry's definition of health may well be different from that of the World Health Organisation. Of course, the word "health" includes a museum. The reason it would include a museum is that it is about ensuring a healthier society and the National Museum is part of what a healthier society is about. Health is not just about sickness care or even about simply preventing specific sicknesses. It is about ensuring a healthier society. Mr Berry can sit here and interject on these sorts of things, but the reality is that he has actually taken the same approach himself. He has put a huge amount of effort into having an active Canberra, which is about a healthier Canberra; so I would expect that he does indeed understand what I am saying but cannot help himself from enjoying the kick when he gets a chance.

I looked at the series of proposals for the Acton Peninsula. I accept the one that was chosen, but I have to say that it certainly was not my favourite. My personal view is that there was a significantly better one that would have fitted in with the landscape far better than the proposal finally adopted. However, the process was appropriate and I accept the final decision that was taken. Both the Chief Minister and Senator Alston announced the other day the proposal that had been accepted for Acton Peninsula. It seems to me that from the Acton Peninsula side we have now taken a sensible step and can actually go forward.

In lots of ways, I would like to have changed the way things were done in the past. I would much prefer to have Royal Canberra Hospital still there. I remind Mr Berry that it was within his power when he became Minister to retain Royal Canberra Hospital as a community hospital. There is no doubt at all about that, but that did not happen.

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