Page 804 - Week 02 - Thursday, 23 February 2012
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The territory has confirmed that these new agreements in their current form portray that a service concession arrangement exists and this arrangement therefore enables the territory to capitalise all public hospital assets. The agreements specify that further developments considered to be public hospital related on the precinct must, in the absence of additional agreements, be run in accordance with the Calvary network agreement, thereby confirming that a service concession arrangement will also exist for future developments on the precinct.
As outlined above, the agreements are now in place and commenced on 1 February 2012. I look forward to continuing to work with Little Company of Mary Health Care to provide acute hospital services to the ACT community and the surrounding region. I move:
That the Assembly takes note of the paper.
Debate (on motion by Mr Hanson) adjourned to the next sitting.
Calvary network agreement—order to table
MS BRESNAN (Brindabella) (5.30), by leave: I move:
That this Assembly calls on the Minister for Health to table the Calvary Network Agreement.
I have moved this motion because I believe this agreement is of great importance to the ACT. Also, the public would have an interest in this agreement. That is why it should be made public—so that it can be accounted for. I do not think there would be any argument to suggest that the agreement should be kept confidential. I have actually asked previously in a briefing with the directorate that it be made public, and I believe that is important.
This is a contract for providing public health services to the ACT and, as such, the public should have the chance to evaluate the agreement that is put before them. It is also about being able to scrutinise and analyse public moneys and how they are spent, which is why we think it is important to have this service agreement made public.
MR HANSON (Molonglo) (5.31): I agree with Ms Bresnan. I see no reason why this agreement should not be tabled. The minister has talked regularly about open and accountable government. We know that this has come at the end of a long and acrimonious process which has caused a lot of distrust and confusion within the ACT community. We know that the government has made a habit of hiding some of the information relating to this whole process.
Indeed, there was a heads of agreement that the minister was seeking prior to the last election that was kept secret from the electorate. That came to light when it was leaked to the Canberra Times some time after the 2008 election. When she said that all of her plans were on the table, it was quite clear that they were not, in the lead-up to that election. So the community will probably want to have a good look, as I do, at this agreement.
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