Page 1028 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 24 March 2015
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MR CORBELL: Our public hospital management every year has arrangements in place to anticipate increases in demand for a range of reasons, including, for example, increased presentations in relation to flu and related conditions. So that is a standard operating parameter within which our hospitals operate.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Doszpot.
MR DOSZPOT: Minister, when will Canberrans get timely services in the emergency department?
MR CORBELL: I think Canberrans understand that our public hospital system is seeing significant pressure and I think Canberrans will also understand that the largest increase we have seen in presentations in our emergency department has been for low urgency matters, predominantly in categories 4 and 5. Why are more and more people coming to the emergency department for categories 4 and 5? Could it be due to the fact that Prime Minister Abbott and the federal government want to impose a charge for people to go and see their GP?
We already know that the ACT reports the highest level of incidence of people declining to go to the GP because of concern about costs. The most recent Productivity Commission report confirms that we have the highest percentage of Canberrans reporting that they will not go see the GP because they are concerned about costs. What is the response of the Liberal Party? The response of the Liberal Party is to ask people to pay more to go and see the doctor. That is their policy.
Mr Hanson: You’re lying. It’s not true!
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, withdraw.
Mr Hanson: I will withdraw.
MADAM SPEAKER: And when you withdraw, stand up and withdraw properly.
Mr Hanson: I withdraw, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Corbell.
MR CORBELL: Thank you, Madam Speaker. We know they want to call it other things. It goes from a price signal to a value signal, apparently, whatever a value signal is. Maybe that is a new term for a tax. (Time expired.)
Uriarra Village—solar farm
MR WALL: My question is to the Minister for the Environment. Minister, in light of today’s announcement that the OneSun Capital solar project will not be built at Uriarra, when did you or your directorate first start giving consideration to moving the site from Uriarra village?
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