Page 145 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 15 February 2012

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video


question for Katy Gallagher. I believe she said that it is in the forward estimates. I look forward to seeing where that is because she has not provided it in any of her documentation that came out with this policy announcement. It is a paper-thin policy announcement based on a broken promise.

Where is that in the forward estimates? Perhaps it is, but it is buried, if it is there at all. I have looked through the budget lines and I cannot see it. I invite her when she speaks to explain in detail where that funding is. I look forward to seeing that because, as I said, it was missing, utterly missing, from any of her documentation she released on 12 December.

I think that what I am asking the minister to do today is pretty reasonable. What am I asking her to do? I am asking her to explain why on 12 December she misled the community. I am asking her to do a number of things. Firstly, I think it would be nice to know what the policy is. Is the policy to have one at the Canberra Hospital and two satellites? Or is it to have none at the Canberra Hospital and two in Belconnen? Are they going into the health centre or are they going into the community?

I ask members to imagine what would happen if I released a policy that was that vague. Can you imagine the response from Katy Gallagher if it was that vague? Can you imagine what she would say? She would be up in arms.

Members interjecting—

MR HANSON: And the Greens—the Greens chirp up; they would be supporting it because they love Katy Gallagher.

Members interjecting—

MR SPEAKER: Thank you, members.

MR HANSON: Then what happens is that on 12 December she misled the media and she misled the community. She went out and she said nothing. She said that there would be two new centres, without any mention of the one at the Canberra Hospital being closed down.

She could explain why the health minister and Chief Minister went out and omitted that from the policy. Why did you? Why did you forget to mention that, minister? I look forward to hearing from you, because when I spoke to the media they felt that they had been lied to. I spoke to members of the media and they felt that they had been lied to, that they had been conned. You need to explain why it is that you went out and said something about a policy and omitted about a third of the policy announcement.

Then I would ask you, if you could, to show us where the funding is that goes from 2013-14, which is only part funded. I would ask you to show me in the forward estimates, the budget line in the budget papers, exactly where that funding is of approximately $8.9 million that takes it through for the four years of this election commitment that you have made.


Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video