Page 3960 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 25 August 2010
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It has been reported to me—and I repeated it here—that Calvary does not have the funds to provide the services. That is why it cuts back; that is why it stops providing obstetric services; that is why is stops providing surgery. If it blows its budget, it has to answer to its board. Unlike the Canberra Hospital, if the medical staff at Calvary blow their budget, they have to answer to the board. They do not get bailed out by the ACT government in the same way that Canberra Hospital does.
What Mr Hanson is doing here today is saying, “Enough is enough. Come clean. Put the information on the table. We will engage in a conversation about the future funding of Calvary hospital when Katy Gallagher shows good faith to the people of the ACT and puts the facts on the table.” The people of the ACT know that they are being dudded over this. The people in my electorate are unhappy about the way their hospital is being talked down and driven down by this government. The people of the ACT want honesty; they want openness—all of those things that Jon Stanhope claimed he was going to do.
Mr Honesty, Openness and Accountability Stanhope. That was, of course, in another age at a time when Jon Stanhope was either idealistic or a fraud, I do not know which. He has proved today that the words that he spoke back in 2001 were completely hollow, because Mr Hanson’s motion is about openness, accountability and fairness. Jon Stanhope has failed again to be open and accountable with the people of the ACT. He aids Katy Gallagher, the Minister for Health, in her continued cover-up of the story about Calvary hospital.
There will be an open discussion about this only when this government puts the facts on the table and comes clean with the community. By all means, if you want to own Calvary hospital, say, “We want to own Calvary hospital, because we don’t want the Little Company of Mary there,” or, “We don’t want any private provider there, whatever their stripes.” But you are not prepared to say that. You do not have the courage to say the Little Company of Mary is no longer welcome in this town, but that is what you think. Have an open discussion. Be honest, be upfront and see whether the people of Canberra support you. I guarantee you they will not.
MS GALLAGHER (Molonglo—Deputy Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Health and Minister for Industrial Relations) (8.17): I welcome the opportunity to discuss Calvary again in this place on private members’ day. I must say, just to begin with, it is a bit rich taking a lecture from Vicki Dunne about ideology without Vicki sitting there and maybe indicating her slight bias towards the Catholic Church and Catholic Church-run organisations. Talk about ideology!
Mrs Dunne: Good on you, sweetie.
MS GALLAGHER: “Good on you, sweetie”—after delivering a venomous speech like that, Mrs Dunne. I am sure your place in heaven is secure. I am sure the car park there is ready and waiting for you. The way you behave in this place is surely judged as well.
The Liberal Party today have basically said the advice the government had was wrong. To prove that argument, they would have to go back and say that every single piece of government advice since self-government has been wrong, because this is the way—
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