Page 1369 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 24 March 2010
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extrapolated over the period comes to $160 million of infrastructure, of capital, that we will not have in our health system.
In terms of the Little Company of Mary, I think this is a good deal for the Little Company of Mary. They have not paid a cent for Calvary hospital. They are going to get in the order of $77 million for an asset that they never paid a cent for. If you wonder why the Little Company of Mary would be supportive of this—I do not say that it is only because of this—it is that it is a very good deal for them. But I am interested in what is a good deal for the people of Canberra, not what is a good deal for the Little Company of Mary.
In terms of scrutiny, I will turn to Mr Stanhope’s quotes. When Mr Stanhope was the Leader of the Opposition, he said that certain things would occur in his government. I will read them to you. He said:
Governments must be scrutinised. They must be accountable. This is a role of oppositions, and it is a role that is particularly necessary as governments become lazy, arrogant, aloof and accident prone.
Now we see a reversal of that. When we do inquire, when we do what he says an opposition should do, he criticises us for it. How quickly he has reversed his position from when he was in opposition to now when he is in government. He says further:
A Stanhope Labor Government will put an end to the waste and mismanagement.
We’ll put an end to the fiascos.
I will lead a Government committed to openness, honesty, and inclusiveness.
If he thinks that the process for Calvary thus far is a process that is committed to openness, honesty and inclusiveness, he is somewhat misguided. He said:
Labor understands that good government does not bully. It leads.
The threats to compulsorily acquire Calvary hospital are little more than bullying. And although he has been talking much about bullying of late, this is a government that is characterised by bullying. If there is a phrase that most people use when they are describing Mr Stanhope, it is arrogance and bullying. He says:
Good government accepts criticism.
Good government has the courage to allow itself to be closely scrutinised. It conducts its operations in an open, honest and accountable manner, not in secret.
... Labor rejects behind “closed-door” deals and the failure of process …
Essentially this is a critique of Mr Stanhope of 2010 by the Mr Stanhope of 2001. If he was genuine with the words that he said back then, he would give himself a fail for the way that the Stanhope government currently conducts its business. Based on the measure of how he assessed good governance, he would have to say that in the matter of Calvary hospital he has failed.
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