Page 2318 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 16 June 2009
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MS GALLAGHER: There has been analysis provided across government, plus also separate reviews commissioned by government, and worked cooperatively on with the Little Company of Mary, that assist the government with their considerations at this point in time. Of course, if it proceeds to the next level—and I think you have already jumped to that point, looking at the motion on the notice paper for tomorrow, where you want me to introduce an appropriation bill for this purchase to go ahead that you do not have a view on—there are a number of documents that will be created and commissioned by the government for consideration should this proceed to the next level. This is an ongoing dialogue negotiation process. Advice is being created across agencies.
Mr Hanson: You are going to sign the deal and then do the analysis.
MS GALLAGHER: We have not signed any deal, Mr Hanson, and I challenge you to show me where the government has signed any deal to do this. Just to be clear: we are in the negotiation process at the moment. It will go through the appropriate government decision-making channels when it needs to. It is not there yet, Mr Hanson. I do not know what you do not understand about this.
Hospitals—Calvary Public Hospital
MR COE: My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, the AMA has expressed concerns over the lack of details surrounding the proposed purchase of Calvary hospital. In particular, Dr Jones said:
It is … a bit hard for us to understand why you take a service which currently runs to budget and has done for a number of years and hand it over to be run by another service which regularly runs over budget and goes to the government and says, “Please, sir, I want some more.”
That is from the public hearings on the estimates. Is Dr Jones mistaken in his criticism?
MS GALLAGHER: I have got a lot of time for Dr Jones. He is a very good president of the local AMA but on that issue, on that point of fact, he is incorrect. Calvary Public Hospital has not run to budget for the last three years, from my recollection. We have needed to make additional allocations to their funding agreement and that is solely based on activity, as is the request—
Mr Hanson: Because they overachieve on their targets, is that not correct?
MS GALLAGHER: Where are we getting to here? I am just trying to find out what the opposition are saying. Are you saying that the government should not purchase Calvary Public Hospital? Is that what you are saying? Just listening to the interjections there—
Mrs Dunne: We’re not saying it.
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