Page 37 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MS GALLAGHER: I have read it. I am just asking you if maybe you can direct me to the part where it says that people should not have any confidence in my ability to manage the health system, Mr Smyth, or is that just a little add-on that you have put?
Opposition members interjecting—
MS GALLAGHER: I know a censure motion is coming, an urgent censure motion that apparently can be dealt with tomorrow—
Mr Hargreaves: Mr Speaker—
Mr Hanson: Only because you are running it, with the help of the Greens, as you did with Corbell’s.
MS GALLAGHER: Bring it on!
MR SPEAKER: Mr Hargreaves has the call.
Mr Hargreaves: I know there is an attack afoot and I know that it is getting really emotional, but, Mr Speaker, those opposite have completely ignored your requests for order and for sensibility, and I would ask you to take them severely in hand, please.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Hargreaves. Minister, you have the floor.
MS GALLAGHER: Thank you, Mr Speaker. The residents of Canberra can obviously have their say, as they do every four years. I will go to the next election, I think—and this government will—with a very long and proud history of what we have been doing to improve the health system. I know that as much as you would like to think that it is all about reclassification of elective surgery, there are a lot of other things that go on in the health system every day—for example, the 1,200 people that visit the emergency department, the services that are offered 24 hours a day, seven days a week—
Mr Hanson interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Order!
MS GALLAGHER: the new buildings that are happening, the extra beds that are being put on—223 extra beds in the system, Mr Hanson. That is what people care about. Yes, there is room to improve. There is always room to improve in the health system. It is a human system and human systems always have the capacity to improve. Mr Speaker, our health system here is one that we can be proud of, one that Canberrans should be proud of. For the vast majority of people who use it, they are proud of it. (Time expired.)
MR SMYTH: A supplementary, Mr Speaker?
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Smyth.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video