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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 14 Hansard (10 December) . . Page.. 4795 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

Where was the scrutiny? Where was the accountability? Where is the ministerial responsibility? Mrs Carnell uses the board as an excuse. She uses ACTTAB's entity as a corporation as an excuse. But for everybody else it is not an excuse - only for her. It is like Totalcare and the Canberra Hospital tragedy. Do you remember that? "It was Totalcare's fault, not my fault" - - -

Mrs Carnell: I did not ever say that.

MR BERRY: It was your decision, your Government's decision. Now she tries to blame ACTTAB. If ACTTAB are to blame, they should pay the penalty because there are certain things which have occurred there which are untoward. I at least admit responsibility for VITAB, regardless of the quality of advice given to me. We are yet to hear Mrs Carnell apologise or admit responsibility for ACTTAB or for the tragedy of the hospital implosion, as one example. Ministerial responsibility does not just cease.

I heard the Chief Minister talking about over $5m - I think it has been stretched to that much these days - and trying to lay that responsibility with me. We can argue about that. Why do we not start right now? The fact of the matter is that it was a debt incurred by ACTTAB and it was the Government which decided to switch the debt to the taxpayer instead of making ACTTAB - - -

Mrs Carnell: The debt was always with the taxpayer. It was a statutory authority. When is a debt of a statutory authority not a debt of the taxpayer?

MR BERRY: It was Mrs Carnell who decided that the debt would be borne directly by the taxpayer, that ACTTAB would not have to deal with it at all and that the responsibility would be taken away from them. It should never have been taken away from them. They should have been made to deal with the issue. They were rewarded for bad performance, as it has turned out. They are into inducements again. This is what happens when you reward people for bad performance.

The responsibility for the Government's actions lies at the feet of the Minister. I am willing to accept my responsibility and always have been. I am sorry for the actions conducted while I was Minister. I apologise for the actions conducted while I was Minister. I had no control over the advice which was given to me. I was deceived. I received bad advice. I apologise to the community that that occurred. I have no difficulty in apologising for that. I do not brush aside lightly the cost to the community. It was a serious issue. For example, does the Chief Minister accept responsibility for the $80m extra that has gone into health? Never. Does she brush that aside lightly? Always. You have to get things into context here. This is about the Burbidge inquiry, Mr Speaker. I have made my position clear and, with that behind me, I now look to government, if we are given the opportunity, as being a responsible position where people take their responsibilities seriously. This Government opposite has not. This Chief Minister, in particular, has not. Mr Speaker, the Burbidge inquiry expanded a long way on the previous Pearce inquiry. I heard Mrs Carnell shrieking yesterday about the cost of the Pearce inquiry. "Spare no expense", I think, were the words. It is a bit rich, Mrs Carnell, for you to be saying on the one hand, "Spare no expense" ,and then to come in here and start screeching about it. But that is nothing unusual for you.

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