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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 7 Hansard (29 June) . . Page.. 2261 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

The final document is concerned with the nursing work force in the ACT. I have recently tasked the department and the hospitals to provide information on this work force, and I attached a draft set of questions in my letter to members. It has proved difficult to answer these questions in the time available, but the preliminary paper I tabled today should assist members to understand the issues. I plan to produce a more extensive analysis as soon as possible.

Mr Speaker, members will be aware that I have planned to host a summit on the topic of hospital funding on 20 July. Together with the AMA, I will be attempting to gather stakeholders together to exchange perspectives and, hopefully, find common cause in the advancement of our hospitals rather than see continuing public wrangling.

This government has adopted as one of its guiding ideas the concept of social capital, and I would like to briefly reflect on how this idea applies to the hospital. We all know that trust, cooperation and understanding, together with a willingness to set aside sectoral interests and prejudices, can contribute to achieving a greater outcome for all.

The history of the Canberra Hospital is, unfortunately, that in the past it has been plagued by an attitude of division into tribes, with all too little loyalty to the collective success of the institution. Each tribe-unions, doctors, administrators and clinical areas-in the past has often only seen the needs of their immediate area or direct interests. It is this culture which the current CEO, Mr Rayment, has set out to change, with my encouragement and with my support. Mr Speaker, I invite members to come with me in my efforts to improve this hospital rather than choose the opposition way of scoring points and damaging reputations.

I ask members this question: knowing my political background and my beliefs, is there anyone who does not believe that I really want the best possible public hospital system for the ACT? I subscribe to the view that a health system is much more than a hospital system. However, acute care hospitals will always be a necessary part of any health system, and, at least for the foreseeable future, they will represent the bulk of its expenditure. We need to place this system on a sensible basis, work to avoid needless disputation, and strive to maintain public confidence in these crucial public institutions.

Mr Speaker, some have suggested that I have been sitting on my hands. It is quite clear from the papers that I have tabled here that just the opposite is true. We have an extraordinarily good hospital. We are working to make sure that it is even better. I hope that the information that I am providing today helps in that task.

MR BERRY (3.53): Mr Speaker, there is just one matter I would like to refer to. I do not want to go into all the details. I have heard those speeches before. In fact, they could be a carbon copy of many. One of the issues that concern me is this call by Mr Moore for peace and tranquillity and goodwill between all for the betterment of the community. It is hard to accept that that is really what Mr Moore wants when you see the bumptious, arrogant attack on a doctor who criticised Mr Moore in relation to his hospital.

Mr Humphries: You have attacked a few doctors in your time too, Wayne, in case you have forgotten.

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