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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 1 Hansard (17 February) . . Page.. 194 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

done with it? Is it plugging up another hole? Has it simply been invested in the short-term money market? Has the Government bought some stocks and shares with it? As the number of people waiting grows, so does the percentage of patients waiting longer than clinically desirable.

The Health and Community Care performance report tabled yesterday for the quarter ending 31 December shows the public hospitals failed to meet their target, a target that was itself somewhat limited. We were advised yesterday that the Canberra Hospital target is that they will deal with 30 per cent of clients within a clinically desirable time. They did not meet that task.

Since this Minister left the crossbench he has become welded on to the Government. He agreed from the outset of this unholy alliance to be bound by all Cabinet decisions relating to health. He is the Minister that must be accountable for government policy and operations in health. Like it or not - I wonder whether he thought of this when he agreed to join the Liberal Government - Mr Moore is the one who is now answerable for failing to meet the Chief Minister's election promises in relation to health, such as the promises made by the Chief Minister when she was first elected. The Chief Minister's promise was to reduce elective surgery waiting lists by 20 per cent.

Mr Humphries: And she did.

MR STANHOPE: I almost fall over! I almost collapse in a heap! We have a situation in which over the last year Mr Moore has presided over a 39 per cent increase in waiting lists in the public hospital system and Mr Humphries dares to respond to a suggestion that the Government has not met the Chief Minister's promise to reduce the elective surgery waiting list by 20 per cent. I do not know what to say; I am lost for words. The Chief Minister also promised that she would open 50 more public hospital beds in the first year of her Government. She also promised that by the end of 1999 there would be 1,000 public hospital beds in Canberra. They were firm promises. Thumping the desk, she said, "There will be 1,000 public hospital beds in Canberra by the end of 1999", a promise absolutely broken, totally broken.

Mr Moore: It is not the end of 1999 yet. Another thing you are wrong about - wrong, wrong, wrong! It is easy to open beds, Jon Stanhope.

MR STANHOPE: I look forward to Minister Moore actually saying that he will get the number of public hospital beds up. We have just received another promise from Mr Moore. Mr Moore says that it is not the end of 1999; let us worry about this promise at the end of the year. Mr Moore has just promised another 300 public hospital beds by the end of this year.

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

MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Stanhope, resume your seat.

MR STANHOPE: We will keep you accountable to that one, Mr Moore. We will remember.

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