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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 4 Hansard (27 March) . . Page.. 976 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

to attract nurses here. Why isn't he taking into account what is going on in other places? Nowhere else are conditions being attacked.

Mr Humphries also put up the issue about Calvary. I find that this also is not a very satisfactory argument because, as I understand it, there are quite different arrangements at Calvary. There are different situations, the changes were initiated by employees, and it is a different hospital.

Mr Moore: It is not true.

MS TUCKER: If Mr Moore thinks it is not a different hospital, he can go and sit in both hospitals. I have done that recently and if he seriously is going to tell me we are talking about two similar hospitals, it is quite obvious that he has not sat in them. Basically I am concerned that the government keep putting the line that if it is okay for the Calvary nurses, why isn't it at Canberra Hospital? I am sure Mr Moore does understand the differences. It would be good if he admitted that and talked it through.

The other argument is that in some way we will not see an improvement in health care if we continue to push the budget or whatever and the government feels that we cannot continue to support a health system which is in some way a terrible burden on the community. But when you talk to people in the community you are told quite clearly that health is an essential service which people expect to be able to access in this country.

Most Australians have an expectation that they will be able to access health care. That is changing. It has changed in the ACT under this Liberal government with the closure of the community health centres. The inadequate provision of primary and preventative health care is directly a result of this government's policies. We have seen so-called more efficient systems produced but that is not the experience-

MR SPEAKER: The member's time has expired.

MS TUCKER: Yes. I will conclude by saying that I urge members to support Mr Berry's amendment. I urge the government to take it seriously, whether or not they think it is our business.

MR SPEAKER: Order! The member's time has expired. Thank you.

Motion (by Mr Hird ) proposed:

The Assembly voted-

	 Ayes, 6  			Noes, 9

 Mrs Burke  Mr Stefaniak  	Mr Berry  	Mr Rugendyke
 Mr Cornwell     		Mr Hargreaves  Mr Stanhope
 Mr Humphries    		Mr Kaine  	Ms Tucker
 Mr Moore    			Mr Osborne  	Mr Wood
 Mr Smyth    			Mr Quinlan

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