Page 1811 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 2 May 2012
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the information that is provided to you. You test that information. You do the best you can. Sometimes, despite everyone’s best efforts, there will be mistakes made with data and sometimes with answers that are provided.
The measure of a minister is what they do when that is drawn to their attention, how they handle it and how they provide that information. That is exactly what I have done in all of the situations where it has been drawn to my attention that incorrect data has been provided for whatever reason—for different reasons; all of them different reasons in the ones we have talked about today—and how you make sure that that problem is fixed and that it does not happen again.
But, in human systems, mistakes will be made. That is not necessarily accepting that they should be made or that you are happy they do occur. The real question for ministers to answer in this place is what you do when that comes to your attention, how you fix it, how you respond and how you make sure that it does not happen again.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Coe, a supplementary question.
MR COE: Chief Minister, given that you were forced to apologise to the community for grossly under-reporting the number of drug tests conducted based on advice from your directorate, did you take any action after your apology to reassure yourself that advice from your directorate was accurate?
MS GALLAGHER: I am not sure that Mr Coe’s question is entirely accurate as to what actually occurred, but there we go. We are used to that, so we will put that aside. The substantive question—
Mrs Dunne: Which bit’s wrong?
MS GALLAGHER: Because I did not actually say it, Mrs Dunne. That is what is wrong, and he is alleging that I did. Yes, I apologised, but the actual error was not made by me. So that is the first thing.
The second thing, the substantive issue, is “what did you do to assure yourself?” As I have said a number of times in this place, I have sought repeated assurances from the Health Directorate that the data that is provided to me is correct and that the systems that they have in place make sure that the data is correct. For 99 per cent of the time it is. And, yes, there is a very small percentage where it is drawn to my attention that that information is not correct.
Mr Hanson interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Now is the time to ask the supplementary, Mr Hanson.
MR HANSON: Thank you, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Not the three times before that. You have the floor.
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