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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 5 Hansard (27 August) . . Page.. 1460 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

the client, depending on where the person fits in the health continuum. I think that the National Capital Private Hospital and the Canberra Hospital will be able to add to the range of choice and that with effective partnerships we can manage to get even better health care for our patients.

MR QUINLAN: I ask a supplementary question. Minister, you would be aware that on the daily program today there are a couple of reports to come down, public accounts committee reports relating to Auditor-General's reports No. 6 of 1997 and No. 8 of 1997, which relate to - - -

Ms Carnell: Which you cannot refer to, because it would be a breach of standing orders.

MR QUINLAN: I will just say that they are contextual. Can you assure this Assembly that there are sufficient controls in place to ensure that the objectives of public health and the public health system receive priority and are at least satisfied?

MR MOORE: Mr Quinlan, since you are the chair of the public accounts committee and will be presenting the report "The Canberra Hospital management - Control of salaried specialists private practice" and other reports today, it seems to me that you probably would be as well positioned as I am to answer that question. I assure you that I am doing what I can - - -

Mr Berry: You might as well be the Minister, Ted.

MR MOORE: It depends whether he takes his responsibilities seriously as chairman of the public accounts committee. I am sure Mr Quinlan does, unlike the chairman of the Estimates Committee, who uses his position purely for politics. It seems to me, Mr Quinlan, that it is absolutely critical that we ensure that our public health system is second to none - it is second to none - and that no matter what contracts are issued and no matter what relationship is established between the National Capital Private Hospital and the Canberra Hospital they ought not undermine public patients. I will do whatever I can to ensure that they do not in any way undermine public patients.

MS TUCKER: My question is directed to the Minister for Urban Services. Minister, you are no doubt aware of the decision handed down today by Justice Higgins regarding the application by Manuka businesses for a review of Mr Humphries's decision to approve the Manuka car park redevelopment, in which Justice Higgins found that the development approval was contrary to the Territory Plan because of insufficient car parking spaces. Could you please explain to the Assembly how your department, in calculating the adequacy of the car parking proposed by Mr Morris in his development application, did not realise that there is a big difference between car spaces provided in a McDonald's drive-through queue and permanent car parking provided for shoppers and that you just cannot add them together to get a total car parking provision?

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