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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 11 Hansard (26 September) . . Page.. 3312 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

Further to its determination to consult as broadly as possible, cabinet has agreed that it will meet in the different town centres of the ACT. The first of these meetings will be held next week at the Tuggeranong community centre. Cabinet will then meet with the Tuggeranong community and Tuggeranong representative organisations.

There has been an absolutely overwhelming response by the people of Tuggeranong and by Tuggeranong representative-

Mr Corbell: I wonder how many the shadow cabinet would get?

MR STANHOPE: Well, the shadow cabinet-I wonder who would turn up. Whom do you reckon would turn up? Who would be interested?

Mr Corbell: Half the shadow cabinet wouldn't turn up.

MR STANHOPE: No, they wouldn't. That's right-the ones that haven't been expelled yet. The books are being kept, we see. The accounts are being marked. How many press releases have you put out lately, Mr Cornwell? We are counting too, mate. When you get a bit low, we'll be whipping around and nudge you and say, "Greg, mate, your numbers are down a bit. You're in strife. The dossiers are being kept, Greg. I'd be watching it, mate."

As you quite rightly point out, Mr Hargreaves, this government is determined to consult. It is determined to be available. It is determined to be more available than it has been.

The first of this government's cabinet meetings at the town centres will be held at the Tuggeranong community centre next Monday. The response from the Tuggeranong community has been overwhelming. It is heartening to see the real keenness that exists within the community to meet with and engage with this government on all those matters that are of great interest to the people of Canberra.

Calvary funding priorities

MR CORNWELL: My question is not, in fact, to Mr Wood. You have intimidated us, Mr Wood, with that array of books in front of you. It has quite concerned us, so I will take an easier target and ask the Chief Minister-as Minister for Health.

I refer to a letter to the editor published in the Canberra Times on 18 September from Dr Peter Hughes, the ACT chairman of the Australian Association of Surgeons, which reads:

So the A.C.T. Department of Health is spending $1.5 million to buy out St John of God Pathology, which had contracts with Calvary Hospital to provide pathology services.

St John of God Pathology had agreed to sell to a private pathology provider for that amount, but were persuaded-

that's an interesting word-

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