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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 10 Hansard (30 August) . . Page.. 3769 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

You may recall that in the budget we introduced an expenditure item of some $1.5 million for post-hospitalisation care for older people. I inform members that the convalescent post-hospitalisation process is well under way. We are doing it with appropriate consultation with the Aged Care Advisory Council, GPs, the Older Women's Network and the like. We have already successfully negotiated with the Commonwealth for transitional services at Morling Lodge to provide 11 beds.

The department is currently examining the Mapleston Place, Chapman, hostel-which you may recall was used for disability services some years ago-as a possible location for a step-down facility for about 10 places. It will require some upgrading work, so there will be a little bit of a time delay there.

In addition, a tender is being developed to provide care and support services to run a social facility for 12 months as a trial and to check the evaluation. We are also looking for other flexible solutions to help with post-hospitalisation care.

I am very pleased that in both these areas-the GP clinic and post-hospitalisation care-we have support from the Labor Party. Earlier today I was speaking about getting a coordinated approach. I think it is very pleasing that that is the case. I recognise that from February onwards Mr Stanhope has recognised the direction that has been set in health. It was deliberate on my part, when I delivered Setting the Agenda, to get a coordinated approach to health. Mr Stanhope recognised that. The first paragraph of an article on 7 February 2001 in the Canberra Times under the heading "No health overhaul: ALP" reads:

ACT Labor's health policy would not be substantially different from Health Minister Michael Moore's, Opposition Leader Jon Stanhope said yesterday.

It then goes on with qualifications. I do not want to misrepresent those. So that I do not, I table that article and seek leave to have it incorporated in Hansard so that someone reading this answer will not be misled.

Leave granted.

MR MOORE: Thank you, members, for granting me leave for that. I present the following paper:

Health-Copy of newspaper article entitled "No health overhaul: ALP".

The article read as follows:

ACT Labor's health policy would not be substantially different from Health Minister Michael Moore's, Opposition Leader Jon Stanhope said yesterday.

Mr Stanhope said he would not be "bluffed or bullied" into disclosing detailed policies until closer to the October election, but signalled Labor was unlikely to call for a major overhaul of Canberra's health system.

However, Labor would focus more on serving marginalised groups such as the elderly, disable and poor. There would be less emphasis on private health insurance and more on boosting the public system.

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