Page 590 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 24 February 2010
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community who have an axe to grind. You are being used; you are being manipulated. You know it and do not care about it because you believe there is a political point to be made. But in doing it, you need to have to regard to the enormous damage you are doing to morale and to the reputation of the Canberra Hospital. Do not delude yourselves that you are not having an effect on the staff and morale within the hospital. Do not delude yourselves into thinking that you are not talking down the quality of service delivered by the Canberra Hospital. Do not believe or delude yourselves that you are not damaging the Canberra Hospital and people’s confidence in the Canberra Hospital, because you are.
The sad part of all of this is that you do not care. You believe the opportunity of scoring a puerile, shallow political point is more important than working with the government to maintain this community’s confidence in that place. You need to understand the extent to which you are being used and manipulated by people within this community seeking to settle personal scores and to make a point about the Canberra Hospital.
Mr Seselja: Once again, that’s all it is—just personal scores. What a joke.
MR STANHOPE: No, it is more than that. The minister has described in detail her proposed responses to that. You are being derelict in your responsibilities, as members of this legislature, by your constant attacks and your constant talking down of the quality of service and the confidence that people can and should have in the Canberra Hospital.
Debate interrupted in accordance with standing order 74 and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for a later hour.
Sitting suspended from 12.28 to 2 pm.
Questions without notice
Canberra Hospital—alleged bullying
MR SESELJA: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Health and relates to recently raised allegations of bullying, harassment and intimidation at Canberra Hospital. Last week on ABC 666, the acting chief executive of ACT Health said that there are a range of ways in which bullying can be reported. Minister, what complaints were received by Canberra Hospital management in the last two years prior to 16 February 2010 in relation to bullying, harassment or intimidation?
MS GALLAGHER: I will have to take that question on notice; I do not have a figure in front of me. The interim chief executive’s comments were quite right: there is a range of ways staff can pursue concerns within the hospital. Those are well documented through the harassment, bullying and discrimination policies, guidelines and procedures that are widely available on the ACT Health intranet and indeed are promoted very widely across ACT Health.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Seselja, a supplementary question?
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