Page 3591 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 22 October 2013
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against a backdrop of a scary ad by the Liberal Party, frightening everybody about the evil plans I have implemented at the hospital. Against that backdrop, I am still here as health minister, working hard, and I will continue to do that.
Government—policy
DR BOURKE: My question is to the Chief Minister. Can the Chief Minister outline to the Assembly what progress the government has made with implementing its election policies since being re-elected by the people of the ACT in October 2012?
Opposition members interjecting—
MS GALLAGHER: I know the opposition are really looking forward to my answer to this question. Thank you very much, Dr Bourke, for the question. It is a great privilege to be here as Chief Minister on the first anniversary of the re-election of the ACT Labor government.
Opposition members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Order members!
MS GALLAGHER: I know the more you talk and interject, the harder it is to listen, so we will not respond to interjections but—
MADAM SPEAKER: That would be disorderly, Chief Minister.
MS GALLAGHER: It would, and I will not do it, Madam Speaker. The government is very proud to inform the Assembly that we have started funding more than 70 per cent of our commitments. The budget has allowed us to deliver on some important social reforms and some major infrastructure projects to begin the transformation of our city to meet the challenges of our second century. These are commitments which deliver on our plan to build a stronger economy, protect local employment and create fairness and opportunities for Canberrans.
There is no doubt that the last 12 months have had some challenges, not only because of the breadth of local issues but also at the national level, which have required managing, and which include important reforms like DisabilityCare and the national education reform. But it is also smaller programs and policies which show our government’s values and priorities at work.
Our first year should be remembered as the first year of a new government, but a government which, in its fourth term, has demonstrated term after term our commitment to investing in things that matter to Canberrans. So it is about our investments in health, with more elective surgeries than ever before, with more than 11,000 operations being performed. It is about continued investment in health infrastructure, looking at new facilities, and with the new Centenary Hospital for Women and Children opening shortly, as will the Belconnen community health centre. We have also funded future health infrastructure, commenced planning for the
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