Page 3154 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 22 August 2012
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one public servant, but there is every indication by the Auditor-General that there was more than one person involved. Where are they now, and do they still have access to records? We cannot be sure, because we do not know who they are. And who is looking for them? By the looks of it, from the government’s point of view, who cares? We have got the one person that is the scapegoat for all of this.
We have a conflict of interest disclosure that should have been given openly and willingly, but it only came out as a result of opposition questioning at a public accounts committee hearing. The Labor Party and the Greens are ducking for cover, accusing the Liberals of bullying and muckraking. We the opposition, and the Canberra community, demand proper public accountability, and we will deliver it despite the efforts of this cosy coalition of the Greens and Labor.
Another very serious aspect of this sorry saga is one of privacy—privacy and confidentiality of records. We have the Auditor-General suggesting that patient records have been compromised to such an extent that “there are risks to the privacy and confidentiality of patient information”. The report went on to say:
The very poor systems and practices also mean that there is a risk that the Health Directorate does not meet the requirements … of the Health Records (Privacy and Access) Act …
So, Mr Speaker, this government is even now bordering on breaching its own legislation. And just yesterday the report from the Legislative Assembly public accounts committee found difficulties with lack of patient confidentiality. It recommends that the government of the day review the security of information which identifies individual patients. And of course we had news today that the appropriate checks on patients prior to operations at Canberra Hospital are not being followed.
These are not trivial matters, Mr Corbell. These are not trivial matters that would allow you to have the smile that you have had on your face all morning. This is not a shadow health minister on a witch-hunt. This is a serious systemic failure by a minister who does not appear to care, possibly because, by her own admission, she has been in the job for too long. This is serious systemic failure. And the Greens in this place, who fancy they are the keeper of integrity and accountability, think that is okay.
Mr Speaker, let us face it. Let us call it for what it is. It would not matter how serious the breaches were, nothing will be done. Nothing will be done, because the Greens signed a blank cheque—a blank cheque to protect this government: the Greens’ agreement that says they will never support a motion of no confidence against this government.
What sort of blatant lie has been perpetrated on the Canberra community by the very party that promised to be the third-party insurance for the community? What sort of accountability, scrutiny and insurance is that? These are the people who seriously believe they are fit to be part of the government. As servants of the people, we have an obligation to do our work with honesty and integrity and to be accountable. It is interesting that only today a family member of a recent patient in Canberra Hospital
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