Page 1706 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 13 May 2015
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MR CORBELL: We have invested in mental health funding through $1 million for growth in community mental health services in our most recent budget—over half a million dollars for dedicated suicide prevention, half a million dollars for new mental health legislation to guide and give greater control for people with mental illness when it comes to how their care is provided. We have invested significantly in health infrastructure. There was $122 million alone announced in the 2014-15 budget. We are expanding the new Canberra Hospital emergency department by a third. We are investing in the critically important University of Canberra public hospital. We are building the secure mental health unit and we are building the Ngunnawal bush healing farm.
So that is this Labor government’s commitment to better health services. We need to see the same from the federal government and we need them to recognise that their cuts cannot stand.
Mr Hanson interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: I warn the Leader of the Opposition!
Energy—solar
MS LAWDER: Madam Speaker, my question is to the Minister for the Environment. Minister, I recently contacted the Australian Energy Market Operator to ask why the figures for the output of the Royalla solar farm did not appear on AEMO’s website along with the figures of every other electricity generator in Australia. AEMO initially advised me that it was an IT glitch and posted the figures online. However, they subsequently wrote to advise me that the “data is provided voluntarily and subject to confidentiality and not pursuant to a National Electricity Rules obligation” and would be removed from their website. Minister, why is the output data of the Royalla solar farm being hidden from the taxpayers of Canberra and labelled as confidential?
MR CORBELL: I am very happy to look more closely at the issues that Ms Lawder is raising, but the one observation I would make is that AEMO reports output, as I understand it, that aggregates ACT and New South Wales generation. So I believe that may be a factor there. But in relation to the specifics of Ms Lawder’s question, I am very happy to provide her with a more detailed answer on notice.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Lawder.
MS LAWDER: Minister, did you or your directorate request AEMO take these figures down from their website or know in advance that they were going to take the figures down?
MR CORBELL: I have sought no such action.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: Minister, where is your government’s commitment to transparency and openness, given the output of Royalla is being hidden?
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