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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 8 Hansard (20 August) . . Page.. 2917 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

I am aware, all of those individuals have either had their surgery or have confirmed appointments for surgery. I am happy to provide those details to Mr Smyth.

Of course, Mr Smyth likes to pick and choose when it comes to waiting lists because, for the past two months, we have seen a decrease in the number of people waiting for elective surgery in the ACT. As well, we have seen a significant level of activity in the actual surgery undertaken. That is really the point that Mr Smyth fails to mention. We have seen a decline from May to June, and that is quite an encouraging figure, Mr Speaker.

That is something that the government is going to keep working on because, unlike the Liberals, the government is making sure that we pay our own way when it comes to providing elective surgery.

Opposition members interjecting-

MR CORBELL: This government has put in place an extra $2 million per annum for the next four years. I notice the Liberals laughing about it but they should not be laughing at the fact that an extra 600 Canberrans will have access to elective surgery this year who otherwise would not, Mr Speaker. There are an extra 600 Canberrans, on average, every year, who will get access to elective surgery that they would not have had if the government had not put in place that initiative.

That is the government's record. The government's record is one of improving access to elective surgery, of paying its own way when it comes to access to elective surgery, and of a decrease in the waiting list for both May and June.

MR SMYTH: Minister, why do you consider that it is excellent service for a patient in category 1 to wait for two months when he or she should have received surgery within 30 days?

MR CORBELL: I challenge Mr Smyth to tell the surgeons and the nurses that they are not providing excellent service and that is exactly-

Mr Smyth: No, you said it was excellent service. It was in your press release. You are twisting and dissembling. You did not meet the target.

MR CORBELL: What I am saying, Mr Speaker. What I am saying, Mr Smyth, is that they get excellent treatment.

We perform extremely well compared to almost every other jurisdiction. Mr Speaker, it is excellent service. In fact, I had a letter just the other day from a constituent who wanted to praise the Canberra Hospital for the excellent service it provided him when he had a hip operation. That was, I think, indicative of the very high standard of care provided by our clinicians and our nurses, and the government is backing that.

The government is supporting that with an extra $2 million per year for the next four years to ensure that, on average, an extra 600 Canberrans have access to elective surgery. That, I think, is a strong endorsement of this government's commitment to providing access to elective surgery.

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