Page 2733 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 6 June 2012
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MR SMYTH: Minister, how will this redevelopment assist those Canberrans who today are experiencing the longest emergency waiting times in the country?
MS GALLAGHER: They are not, depending on how you present. If you present with the most serious, the most urgent, emergency condition, you will be seen on time. For those with less urgent conditions, there may be a wait, particularly on a busy day.
MR HARGREAVES: A supplementary.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Hargreaves.
MR HARGREAVES: Chief Minister, in the redeveloped hospital will the coronary care unit save far more lives of people suffering heart attacks in the future?
MS GALLAGHER: Part of the focus of the extra money into the emergency department is for four extra cardiac care beds. Whilst we have very good results in terms of getting cardiac patients into the emergency department quickly and into the cardiac catheter labs, the second of which has been built in the last couple of years, what it will allow is for those patients to be treated in addition to other patients coming through the emergency department.
MR HANSON: A supplementary, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Hanson.
MR HANSON: Minister, given the record numbers of people who have presented to the emergency department in the first quarter of this year and the fact that your government is only now looking at redevelopment, will waiting times this year be even worse than last year?
MS GALLAGHER: Mr Hanson is wrong; we have increased capacity in the emergency department by 55 treatment spaces.
I ask that all further questions be placed on the notice paper.
Personal explanation
MRS DUNNE: I wish to make a personal explanation.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mrs Dunne?
MRS DUNNE: In question time today I asked Minister Burch as a supplementary, “Why is the government using the community sector efficiency dividend to pay for the increased costs in the equal pay case?” Minister Burch stood up and said, “Mrs Dunne does not know what she is talking about.”
I refer members to page 129 of budget paper 3, where the initiative called “Implementation of equal remuneration case outcomes and related ACT community sector reforms” shows $448,000 in the first year as expenses. It says:
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