Page 959 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 17 March 2010

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… clarify when all patients suffering from cancer in the ACT will be treated in the ACT …

That is not unreasonable. Let us get a statement of fact from the minister about what she has put in place so that this does not occur again. I do not see what is unreasonable in that. And when I look at what the Greens are inserting, I do not see anything that asks these questions. The Greens are afraid of asking the government the tough questions. The Greens are afraid, particularly, of asking the health minister the tough questions. You have to ask why.

Let me go to part (3). It says:

(3) condemns the Minister for Health for failing to:

(a) manage the ACT Health portfolio effectively;

What are we doing in this? We are holding the minister to account. The Assembly has the opportunity to put on the record that it is not happy with what the minister is doing. Of course, the Greens appear to be very happy. Let me go back to the motion. It says:

(3) condemns the Minister for Health for failing to …

(b) ensure that communication procedures in ACT Health are effective …

You only have to listen to the litany that Mr Hanson put on the record again. We have not learnt from the last time that we had this sort of debate—or the time before that or the time before that—when we had the families of those who had unfortunately died either receiving bills or being asked to come and collect the effects of their loved one. The motion continues:

Again, why would you delete that? Why would you delete a call for transparency and openness? Why would the party that said they were going to be third-party insurance be against transparency and openness? It is because that is not as important as the Greens-Labor alliance. That is the problem with the amendments that Ms Bresnan is moving. What it completely does is take away the accountability. (Time expired.)

MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Are you going to speak to your amendment, Ms Bresnan?

Ms Bresnan: I was going to speak to my amendment, yes.

Mr Seselja: She can’t speak.

MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: You have already spoken to the amendment. Mrs Dunne.

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