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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 1 Hansard (17 February) . . Page.. 202 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

Mr Speaker, the next issue I would like to take up is the third point, that is, relations with staff. My interactions with staff have been particularly positive. I have walked around the wards and spoken to the nurses during many visits to the hospital. In fact, I am not aware of any other Minister who did that as a normal part of the thing.

Mr Hargreaves: Terry Connolly did it.

MR MOORE: I have an interjection from Mr Hargreaves that Terry Connolly did. I believe that would be true, because I certainly think it would fit into the way that Mr Connolly operated. I have certainly done it quite regularly in my nine months as Minister, and I assure members that I will continue to do it. I have always had good relations with the managerial staff, who, I recognise, are under particular pressure right now. I need to strike the right balance between demanding an improved performance and giving them the support that they need. I believe, that after the relations I built up last year, the recent increase in my involvement actually finds that balance.

We heard Mr Stanhope referring to my relations with officials of the nurses union. He spoke about that in a very negative way. It is certainly true that relations were somewhat strained last year; there is no question about that. I have a different vision from some people within the ANF. I remind members that Mr Berry, as Minister, had a very difficult time with the ANF when they were seeking to have an enterprise bargaining agreement sorted out. I do not withdraw from that, because I have a different set of objectives from the nurses. I have a different opinion from them on some issues because the nurses union - correctly - has a role to look after its members. That is its prime role. My prime role is different from that. My prime role is to look after the patients and the general community.

The fourth point that Mr Stanhope raised is the issue of the replacement of the chief executive officer. There have been eight general managers or CEOs since the beginning of self-government in 1989 and I read today that there have been 27 in 25 years. That was said in a comment by Professor Hindle. I have not double-checked that figure. Running the Canberra Hospital is an extremely difficult task, with any CEO facing entrenched, systemic and cultural problems which lead to regular cost overruns and impede any attempt at reform. Mr Berry will know that when he took over as Minister for Health in 1989 both hospitals at that stage, Woden and Canberra, had long histories of blowing out their budgets and then coming to government for a handout.

Like many of his predecessors, Mr Johnston was beginning to face insurmountable resistance within his hospital, despite an extensive knowledge of hospital management and despite the fact that Mr Johnston has been a very successful hospital manager in other places and, I expect, will be a very successful hospital manager elsewhere. Mr Johnston and I were forced to recognise that his capacity to bring about the sort of change which is needed was diminishing. The amicable agreement between us for Mr Johnston to move on was totally above board. All steps were taken to overcome the difficulties Mr Johnston faced in dealing with the hospital and choices were made by him which involved his taking on another role. Mr Stanhope referred at one stage to the money involved. My advice is that the method that we have used will be a far less expensive, less costly, measure than any others that we could follow.

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