Page 131 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 16 February 2011
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MR SPEAKER: Order!
Mrs Dunne interjecting—
Mr Coe interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Order!
MR STANHOPE: I was making the point, until I digressed—
MR SPEAKER: Chief Minister, one moment please. Mr Coe and Mrs Dunne, you are both warned for continual interjection across the chamber. I have asked a number of times now for the debate to be conducted in some sort of manner where the speakers can be heard. Chief Minister, you have the floor.
MR STANHOPE: But I did digress. A constant, clamouring claim that the Liberal members that have engaged in this so-called debate have made is that the minister is covering up, that she is blaming officials, that she is blaming Dr Hughes, that she is blaming staff, that it is always somebody else’s fault. I have to say, as I have observed this debate, most particularly through the most recent Auditor-General’s report, that the minister has, to a fault, defended staff at the hospital. She has defended the hardworking staff in the waiting list area; she has defended the doctors; she has defended the administrators; she has defended the senior staff and the managers responsible for managing these particular issues—those managers, those senior staff, those executives that are responsible for ensuring that policies and practices are implemented.
I have suggested to the minister that I think she has perhaps defended them just a little too much. At one level, there have been failings. We accept that and acknowledge it. The minister has been absolutely rigorous in her loyalty to her staff at every level—a commendable loyalty, a sense of loyalty that is not shown by the Liberal Party, and never will be, as they constantly attack staff in public service. We should reflect on that.
At no stage has the minister sought to deflect responsibility. At question time yesterday she said that she accepted full responsibility. It is odious, wrong and false to suggest that the minister has in any way sought to deflect any responsibility, to lay blame or even to seek some of her senior executives to take some responsibility. I hope they are; they should be. They deserve to be; they deserve to be asked to do so. But they have not been, as a result of the minister’s utter loyalty towards her staff. I do hope, I have to say, that there are some senior executives in Health that are reflecting, and reflecting deeply, on some of the issues that have been revealed.
Just look at the record of achievement of the minister in this portfolio and then reflect on the nonsense, the absurdity, of this motion that the minister be censured as Minister for Health. This is the best Minister for Health we have had, with an absolutely stunning record of achievement. Just look at the record of achievement; go through it, assess it and look at the fantastic outcomes. At the end of the day, as
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