Page 554 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 19 March 2014
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But this minister was saying the opposite. She was saying that it would. The report went on to say that “the location of the walk-in centre actually resulted in a net increase in ED activity”. There are plenty of media reports about that as well.
There are three elements to this. Firstly, this government promised three walk-in centres. That, whichever way you look at it, is a broken promise. That was not true—categorically. That cannot be in any way spun by this minister. Secondly, this minister was out there saying it would relieve pressure on our emergency department. She was repeatedly saying that, whereas her own department said, and the evidence showed, that it would have the opposite effect. And we know what then happened at our emergency departments. We know that they have the longest waiting times in the country. We know that that caused or contributed to the ED scandal of 2012. The third strike is that the Chief Minister was politically opportunistic during the last campaign. Knowing that this had not worked at the Canberra Hospital site and that it needed to be relocated, as we all did by that stage because we had read these reports, the honest position was that it needed to be closed down at the Canberra Hospital when walk-in centres were relocated to the suburbs. I supported that. The Chief Minister changed her tune because she saw that it was politically expedient to do so and misled the community in the lead-up to the 2012 election.
When you look at those three elements together, I think it is now time for the Chief Minister to stand up in this place and say, “Yes, I do apologise. I haven’t opened three walk-in centres like I promised I would. I apologise for that. No, it didn’t relieve pressure on the ED. I misled you about that, and I apologise.” And thirdly, “No, it is true that we are going to close the walk-in centre at the Canberra Hospital, despite the fact that I gave everybody the impression in the lead-up to the 2012 election that that was not so.”
I think that on those three counts—and the evidence is there in black and white—it is entirely reasonable to ask the Chief Minister to stand up and say, “Let’s draw a line in the sand.” She should stand up here and say, “Yes, we got it wrong. We did not open three. We said we would. I am sorry. No, this didn’t relieve the pressure on the ED, even though I said it would, repeatedly. And, yes, we are closing the walk-in centre at the Canberra Hospital, even though I said I wouldn’t.” I do not think it is unreasonable for me to ask, on behalf of the community, the Chief Minister to stand up in this place and say, “Yep, poor form; I apologise,” and then we can move on.
She does not like my stump speech; I appreciate that. But I am not going to step away from that, and I will continue to remind people about this story of the walk-in centres. I will continue to remind people of those three elements and of this minister’s willingness to say whatever it takes in order to get herself across the line at an election.
Question put:
That the motion be agreed to.
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