Page 2428 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 17 June 2009
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Ms Gallagher: So a business case would not do that?
MR SMYTH: A business plan would not do that. We are not asking you to tell us what money you are offering or what deal you are cutting, because apparently that detail does not exist—it just does not exist—because the minister cannot provide it. I asked the minister a question on this in the estimates process and I got the answer yesterday. Again, after the committee had reported, the flimsy detail starts to emerge. The questioning in estimates went something like this:
MR SMYTH: So is there a document that supports the view that the one governance model is the better model?
There was a discussion, for members who do not recall it, about evidence to support a proposed governance model of Calvary and the benefits that would flow to the people and to the system because of this. So I asked that question. The reply:
Ms Gallagher: A document specifically?
MR SMYTH: Yes. Is there evidence to support that claim? Is there something you or the department could table for the committee that says, “This is the work we’ve done and this supports the claim”?
Ms Gallagher: I would have to go back and have a look. There has been so much work done on the government’s model at Calvary, and I am very happy to look at what we can provide to the committee, for sure.
Well, the answer came yesterday—and remember that “there has been so much work done” on the governance model at Calvary. There has been so much work done that we have to go back to 2002 to find any. And, yes, here is the answer—
Ms Gallagher: No, that’s not true.
MR SMYTH: Well, that is what you said—
Ms Gallagher: Read the bottom line, Brendan.
MR SMYTH: You said:
The answer to the member’s question is as follows:
Ms Gallagher: Read the bottom line.
MR SMYTH: It continues:
The Reid Report, which was a review of the organisational arrangements of the Government health services, was received in May 2002.
The government, for the government’s own documents, has to go back to 2002. The minister says, “Go to the last line.” Yes, I note the last line:
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