Page 971 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 17 March 2010
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has admitted that there was a breakdown in communication, as she did with the TB case where young DJ Franco-Gill, who very sadly was deceased, was sent a bill. She admitted a breakdown in communication there.
There is clearly a breakdown in communication, with doctors trying to put complaints forward about bullying. We see a breakdown in communication about the swine flu death that occurred and a breakdown in communication in oncology. If anyone is left in any doubt that the minister is presiding over a portfolio where breakdowns in communication are prevalent, the evidence is clear.
Finally, in condemning the minister, there is her failure to be transparent and open with the public about critical issues in the performance of her portfolio. We saw it recently with the secret inquiry that is now going to be held, where we are not allowed to know the name of the person conducting the inquiry. She will not tell us what is going to be—
Mrs Dunne: Except that it is on the public record.
MR HANSON: Yes, a bizarre moment. There are some odd things that happen in this place but that has to be at the top of the list, Mrs Dunne. As Mr Seselja said, there has been no plausible explanation given, other than “my staff told me not to say his name”. Minister, if you are doing your job, if you are a minister, make a decision once in a while. Do not simply be the puppet that turns up to cut the ribbon. We have seen the secret inquiry.
The Calvary secret deal: remember that one? “All our plans are on the table,” other than the $77 million plan to buy the hospital, other than that one, but that was kept secret and it was only revealed when someone leaked it to the Canberra Times. Remember the obstetricians and the terrible way that that whole process—not just the inquiry but the fact that all of the complaints were made—was basically ignored within the department or dismissed? It took the obstetricians to go forward. The bush healing farm: remember that one? It was the subject of a privileges motion because of documents, under freedom of information, which were clearly covered up inappropriately and continual denials about something that was a very simple issue.
The government is continuing to bury itself deeper in the mire in cover-ups, in refusing to release information and in telling untruths which were quite clear and black and white. There was the TB case where I tried to get an investigation of that issue. Once again, actually on that one, the Greens did not support it.
It is quite clear that what we have is a failure in leadership from the Deputy Chief Minister, and she is the woman who is meant to be the next Chief Minister. Based on her performance that we have seen in ACT Health—and Treasury, I may add—who has the confidence that she should be the next Chief Minister? I tell you, most people I speak to in the community are worried sick because they do not like Jon Stanhope—they have got nothing nice to say in terms of his personality—but, when they compare him with Katy Gallagher and her dithering and her inability to get the job done across her portfolio areas, they are seriously worried. And if you speak to your Labor colleagues, they will probably tell you the same, particularly in the right faction. But I tell you out there, across—
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