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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 6 Hansard (16 May) . . Page.. 1713 ..

MR SMYTH (continuing):

A proposal was put to our part-time Minister for Health that may have come up with a solution for the problem in Tuggeranong, and he said no. Tuggeranong Community Services, in association with a developer, proposed basic health services there in the hope that it would lead to a doctor coming to that location. What did we get from our Chief Minister, our part-time Minister for Health? He said, "No. Forget about it. It is not going to happen."

To achieve what you would like to achieve through policy development to look after the less well off, you have to be in a good financial position. The dilemma we faced when we came into office in 1995 was the $344 million operating loss the previous Labor governments left us. It took us five of our seven budgets to make up for that loss. The current budget, put in place by the previous government, looked at addressing poverty and early intervention. The federal government's economic management has allowed it to put more money into programs that we would all support.

Because of their sound management, the federal government have also been in a position to cover things that have made us the envy of economies around the world. In a back page article one economist rated the economies of the world, and the only one that shines is the Australian economy. We are defying all the trends. Yesterday Steven Kates, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry economist, said that we are the only ones bucking the trend. Why? It is because of good management.

Look at some of the unexpected dilemmas the federal government has had to cope with-the Asian meltdown, the HIH collapse, Timor, the war on terrorism, the need to reverse the fuel excise. They have been able to deal with these matters because they have had surpluses. It is unfortunate that we have drifted into deficit this year, but it will come back next year. It is important to put things in context instead of dealing with them in isolation and saying, "This is bad."

My first piece of advice to the government would be that instead of moving motions such as this they should try developing a relationship with ministers in the federal parliament. They will have to deal with them for at least another two and a bit years. Instead of coming here and bagging people, and instead of saying, "No, no, no," which is apparently all the Chief Minister can use the phone for, why don't you talk to federal ministers, develop a relationship and get an understanding of where the federal budget is going?

Mr Quinlan mentioned the pharmaceutical benefits scheme and his friend with arthritis. He said what a terrible thing the budget was. I think you need to look at your own back yard first, Mr Quinlan. I have had correspondence from a constituent who has cerebral lupus. This woman needs full-time pain management. Our last full-time pain management specialist quit in December. Mr Stanhope's answer-Mr Quinlan, you might keep this in mind-is that the Canberra Hospital chronic pain unit is participating in and taking a lead role in the development of an ACT-wide pain service incorporating TCH, Calvary and Community Care, and a proposal to enhance this service remains under consideration. A fat lot of good that is for somebody in pain.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Smyth, could you tell me what that has to do with the motion in front of me? A bit of relevance, please.

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