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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 11 Hansard (6 November) . . Page.. 3719 ..

Ms McRae: Who?

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Stanhope?

Ms McRae: Never heard of him.

MR HUMPHRIES: Jon Stanhope. If I were you, I would never have heard of him either, actually. I would be pushing him behind me if I were you. What about Mr Quinlan? He would make a good Minister for Health. Yes, I think he would make a great Minister for Health. He would have so much talent.

Ms Reilly: What the hell has this to do with it? What on earth is this?

MR HUMPHRIES I see that Ms Reilly has stirred to life. Actually, that solves the problem. Ms Reilly would make a great Minister for Health. I can see her there in the middle of the Health Ministers negotiating a new Medicare agreement. She would be fantastic for the ACT, Mr Speaker - absolutely fantastic.

Mr Corbell: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Corbell, are you feeling offended or are you taking a point of order?

Mr Corbell: No, Mr Speaker, I am not feeling offended. I am extremely bored by Mr Humphries's comments. My point of order is on relevance. This has nothing to do with the question that Mrs Littlewood asked Mr Humphries and I would invite you to direct the Minister to keep to the subject matter of the question.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I was asked by Mrs Littlewood to comment on this press release from Mr Berry which specifically talks about splitting responsibilities for health and the Treasury.

MR SPEAKER: Indeed.

Mr Whitecross: Further to the point of order, Mr Speaker, I would have thought that in commenting on the press release he might constrain himself to his responsibilities as Minister, or the Minister's responsibilities as Minister, even though she is not here, rather than trying to solve the Labor Party's problems as to who is going to do what, because that is not really a matter for his portfolio. I suggest that he leave that to the Labor Party.

MR SPEAKER: I just think of the Augean Stables; that is all. I make no further comment.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I will be brief and finish the answer. I simply say that our Chief Minister and Minister for Health has shown a fantastic capacity to hold down both of those jobs with great aplomb. I think Mrs Carnell is the most experienced Health Minister in Australia at present. In those circumstances, and with her capacity to bring in health budgets without blowing them out, Mr Berry, I think we have very good representation of the ACT at both of those meetings.

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