Page 1673 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 1 May 2012
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Katy Gallagher and Meredith Hunter’s decision today to not support a broader inquiry is essentially fingering that individual and saying: “You are guilty. You acted alone. We are not going to look at it any broader. We’re going to make sure that none of this sticks to us, guv, because we’re going to sacrifice you.” That is what they are saying, and what we are saying is that we do not accept that.
The other point Mr Seselja made is about honesty and the fact that this is not just about the data. This is about honesty. This is about the fact that the community, the most vulnerable people in our community—that is, people that have turned up to our emergency department, often elderly people—are being lied to and have been lied to by this government and this minister for a year or perhaps a couple of years. I am not sure how long it is, but they have been lied to. This is important, because if the community is given the impression, if the AIHW is given the impression, if everyone is given the impression that our emergency departments are performing well, it is unlikely that they will draw the sorts of resources and support they are going to need compared to if they are in dire straits, and it was reported yesterday by the AIHW that they are the worst in the nation. This is not without implication. The reality is that if something appears to be working well and at the right level, it is unlikely the government or the community will expect the additional resources to be put in which are clearly desperately needed.
The other thing that really concerns me is the role of the Greens in wanting to restrict the scope of this audit. I have faith that the Auditor-General will see through that and will see that this is essentially a political attempt by two political parties in alliance to restrict her in what she looks at. I have confidence that the Auditor-General will look at this independently, will look at the facts and all of the issues that they have been presented with and will form the opinion that if she does not conduct a broader inquiry then the result will be that an individual who works in the hospital will be ultimately a scapegoat and the person hung out to dry by this government and the Greens.
I am also very curious to find out about this secret meeting that occurred between Katy Gallagher and Meredith Hunter. I think we need answers about why Katy Gallagher and Meredith Hunter were heading off to lunch together for their secret meeting to talk about this, if that is the case. There are no denials from either of them. What was discussed at that meeting? What agreements were made at that meeting to stitch up the response we have seen from the Greens today? The response from the Greens today has not been one focused on this problem of falsifying data; the response from the Greens has been an attack on the Liberal Party. What was said in that meeting between these two colleagues, essentially, to arrange that and at what expense to the Canberra community and to this staff member who has now been hung out to dry because the government and the Greens are refusing to have a broader inquiry?
We remain of the view very strongly that a board of inquiry should be appointed. But, ultimately, what is important are the terms of reference and that whoever conducts the inquiry—whether it is the Auditor-General if she decides to or the Ombudsman—looks at the full scope of what has occurred. The consequence of not doing that will be very damaging to the individual who is currently the scapegoat for Katy Gallagher.
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