Page 158 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 8 December 2004
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These are also measures of the performance of the health system and, in particular, our public hospitals. If the opposition wants to engage in a debate about health, I am very open to doing that. But the issue the opposition needs to appreciate is that waiting lists are not the only measure of the effectiveness of the system.
Mr Stefaniak also deals with the issue of the government’s reforms. The government’s reforms are right now addressing duplication of staffing in the health system. Mr Smyth’s comments bring this to attention, of course. We do have duplication because, under them, we did not have one health system; we had three or four. We had Community Care, we had Calvary Public and we had the Canberra Hospital—and then we had the department of health. We had four health systems under the Liberal Party!
For a jurisdiction of 300,000 we had four health systems, each reporting in a different way, each accountable in a different way and none of them working together, none of them coordinated in their activities one little bit. It was an eco-rat response from the Liberal Party, an eco-rat response that divided rather than unified our health system. It was one that forced the system to work against itself, not with each other as a team. And no matter what they say, they know that it created enormous problems. Every other jurisdiction in the country is now moving away—
Members interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Mr Corbell, resume your seat. I have called for order on more than one occasion—Mr Smyth in particular. I do not want to be drawn into issuing warnings to people, so I will just ask you to remain silent while Mr Corbell deals with the question that has been put to him.
MR CORBELL: Thank you. So, Mr Speaker, every other jurisdiction in the country is moving away from this desegregated model. Every other jurisdiction is now following the ACT lead in creating a unified, single health system. So the reforms are working. I can very proudly report to members that we now have the highest level of coordination that we have ever had in the delivery of health services in the ACT. We have clear lines of responsibility, clear lines of accountability and reporting, and I think that it is an important reform that the government has put in place, a reform that we will continue to implement because it will deliver the results that we need for the Canberra community.
Planning—Griffin legacy plan
MR GENTLEMAN: Can the Minister for Planning advise the Assembly how the Griffin legacy plan supports the work of the ACT Planning Authority for the central area of Canberra?
Mrs Dunne: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. My understanding is that the Griffin legacy plan is a matter that has been brought forward by the National Capital Authority. I am not quite sure of the head of power under which the ACT Minister for Planning can comment on the Griffin legacy plan.
MR SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
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