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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 8 Hansard (25 August) . . Page.. 2411 ..
MR SMYTH (continuing):
the decision to put it into the one portfolio. We believe that this is a valid decision. Ours is a small jurisdiction and I think that one of the reasons why we get on and we are so innovative is that we are a small jurisdiction, a city-State, a city-Territory, as it were. With that we have had great leadership from the Chief Minister, from Mr Humphries and from Mr Stefaniak. I note Mr Hargreaves' praise of Bill Stefaniak and some of the reforms that we have been able to set in place. I would thank Mr Hargreaves on behalf of Mr Stefaniak, who is not here.
Ms Carnell: It makes up for the times that they have got stuck into him over Quamby.
MR SMYTH: Except for the times that they have got stuck into him over exactly the same issue. It is somewhat schizophrenic of the Labor Party. We are thankful that Mr Hargreaves has the honesty and the integrity to stand up and thank Bill for that.
Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, it is very important that we get this matter right. We believe that we have got it right. We believe that this is the way to go. We endorse what the coroner has said. In doing so, we offer a path forward for those who, unfortunately, get into the correctional regimes, but what we will offer them is a better path out when we prove through these changes that we know what we are doing.
Debate (on motion by Mr Osborne ) adjourned.
MR OSBORNE (4.20): I am most disappointed that the Minister is not here.
Mr Smyth: I raise a point of order, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker. I think the Minister is responding to what it is that Mr Osborne has just been on the radio about while we have been having another debate and giving Mr Osborne the charitable time to do his own work. Mr Osborne should extend that charity to the Minister.
MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
MR OSBORNE: I move:
That this Assembly requires the Government to immediately commence negotiations with representatives of the Australian Nurses Federation over work conditions and pay for nurses employed in the Canberra public hospital system.
I would like to read from Hansard of earlier this year. I was commenting to my office last night about whether or not forcing the Minister to become actively involved in what was happening at the hospital was the right thing to do. I recall the Labor Party moving a motion. I forget the wording of it. It was not a censure motion; it was the next one down.
Ms Carnell: It was expressing grave concern.
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