Page 591 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 24 February 2010
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MR SESELJA: Minister, do you have confidence in the hospital complaints system, given comments made by doctors in the past two weeks?
MS GALLAGHER: From my experience, yes, I do. I have faith in the complaints procedures as they are set out, and I think any reading of them—I presume the opposition will have done their homework on that—will see that they are very clear. They have recently been reviewed and they are widely promoted across the hospital.
I think the concerns that have been raised have been about complaints that have not been brought through the established processes for one reason or another, and that is what we need to examine. We want to ensure that there is a culture at the hospital. Certainly in the frank discussions that I have with hospital staff, it is not a workforce that is full of shrinking violets, that is for sure. But I want to make sure that there is not any issue or concern that staff have about legitimately pursuing concerns. Some of that has come out over the past few days, and that is exactly what we need to have a look at, and we will.
MR SPEAKER: A supplementary, Mr Hargreaves?
MR HARGREAVES: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Minister, given that the subject of the question was about bullying, do you not find it a bit strange that those opposite would be talking about bullying when two of their staff who left this Assembly got compensation because they were the victims of bullying?
Mrs Dunne: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: that question was entirely out of order. It does not relate to a current member of the Assembly and it does not relate to the subject matter of the question, which was the Canberra Hospital.
Mr Hargreaves: On the point of order, Mr Speaker—
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Hargreaves.
Mr Hargreaves: I thank Mrs Dunne for the answer.
Mr Hanson: On the point of order, Mr Speaker: if Mr Hargreaves is going to continually ask questions that he knows are out of order simply to suck up the opposition’s question time then I would ask that you note what Mr Hargreaves is doing, which is asking erroneous questions deliberately out of order just to simply waste questions.
MR SPEAKER: The question is out of order, Mr Hargreaves. I am sure you are surprised to hear that!
Mr Hargreaves: I accept your ruling with alacrity, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Further supplementary questions. Mr Hanson?
MR HANSON: Minister, why did you assert that no complaints had been made by doctors, despite the fact that Dr Gallagher stated in the media on Monday that she had made complaints to the general manager of the Canberra Hospital?
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