Page 3331 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 17 August 2010
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Mr Hanson: Not my fault.
Mr Smyth: Everyone else’s fault.
MS GALLAGHER: Can I just point out that Little Company of Mary do not agree with our accountants’ advice. They have actually commissioned Queen’s Counsel to dispute it; so the pathway forward is not clear. It is not clear.
The opposition are in this position where they are saying: “We always knew this. We knew this. We knew you never had to buy it. We knew it was just an accounting problem which was based on incorrect advice.” So they knew that. They had not looked into their crystal ball to see the future but apparently they knew it, even though it never, ever was the way they dealt with Calvary in their accounts, Mr Smyth, when you were in government.
Mr Smyth: We never sought to buy it.
Mr Hanson: Were we right or were you wrong?
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Hanson!
MS GALLAGHER: So this is the way it has always been. The opposition somehow know that that is all incorrect. They were never able to demonstrate just how it was incorrect, but they all knew it; so there you go.
Mr Coe: Were we right? Were we right?
Mrs Dunne: Were we right? Yes, we were.
MS GALLAGHER: Little Company of Mary—
MR SPEAKER: Ms Gallagher, thank you. Members, I have already outlined my expectations. Mr Seselja was contentious. He was not heckled. Ms Gallagher should have the freedom to make her points without being interrupted or shouted down. The next person who does will be warned and the next person after that will leave the chamber. Ms Gallagher.
MS GALLAGHER: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Little Company of Mary disagree with the accounting advice, even though those opposite obviously agree with it. They knew it ahead of time, but they agree with it. Little Company of Mary do not agree with it. They do not think we needed to purchase the hospital in order to capitalise the asset. So essentially, we have a disagreement between the two parties involved in the health system around accounting treatment for that asset. That is where we are at today. There is no agreement on it.
I can certainly stand here and say that the negotiations with Calvary will continue. They will continue in good faith but they will be complex and I could not put a timetable on when they will finish. But I can certainly stand here and say that I know
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