Page 2673 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 29 June 2010
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In the context of the resources that we have available, it is always ironic in relation to any discussion or conversation in this place on health and the health portfolio—it is interesting, of course, that the opening part of the censure motion is about the mismanagement of the health portfolio—that it must start with an acknowledgement of the fact that when in government the Liberal Party closed 114 beds in the public hospital system. That is where any conversation in this place involving the Liberal Party must start. It must start with the fact that this party, in government, thought it was appropriate to reduce the number of hospital beds in Canberra by 114. Think about the implications.
Is it not ironic that we have a censure motion today going to issues around waiting times, waiting lists, when the party in government, the Liberals—the party which moved the motion in relation to waiting times and waiting lists—closed down 114 beds within the system? Imagine the effort that we have made, most particularly through Katy Gallagher as minister, to make up the difference, to catch up, to close the gap in relation to the number of beds and the number of doctors.
Just imagine coming into government and starting 114 beds down from where you should have been at that time, and then look at the work that this minister has done, most particularly over this last two years, in relation to revolutionising healthcare delivery in this territory—the complete rebuild that was the vision of this minister, the most significant single effort by any jurisdiction in Australia to bring health care in the public sector into this century, through a billion dollar capital investment, with significant increases and improvements across the board. Whether it be in relation to mental health, whether it be in relation to the community, whether it be in relation to maternal health—whether it be in relation to any aspect of health care—this minister has done more than any other health minister in this place ever, and indeed probably in Australia.
Mr Smyth: What, more than you?
MR STANHOPE: Absolutely, without a doubt. I was trying to reopen 114 closed beds. That is what I was doing. I had to concentrate on that. (Time expired)
MR SESELJA (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (10.57): I might take up where the Chief Minister left off. Ms Gallagher did not even address the first part of the motion. I think she accepts the first part of the motion—so we will deal with that briefly—that she has mismanaged the health system, that indeed she is overseeing a health system which, when it comes to elective surgery, is delivering worse results than New South Wales—worse than Reba Meagher and worse than John Della Bosca. When it comes to elective surgery, the minister is delivering worse results than what is generally considered to be the worst government in the country by a long way. They will not tell you that, but New South Wales actually delivers better outcomes on elective surgery. Reba Meagher as health minister and John Della Bosca as health minister were able to deliver better outcomes than this minister.
It is not surprising that the minister did not want to defend her record when it comes to outcomes. When it comes to elective surgery, this government has clung
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