Page 513 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 17 February 2016
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Mr Corbell: It’s still an imputation, though.
Mr Hanson: It’s a question.
MADAM SPEAKER: It can still be—
MR HANSON: No-one thought she would fabricate numbers either—
MADAM SPEAKER: Order, Mr Hanson! I am making a ruling. It can still be an imputation. I do not think there was a case that Mr Corbell’s predecessor personally fabricated numbers. I think on the basis of that you should withdraw.
Mr Hanson: I withdraw, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Corbell, the Minister for Health.
MR CORBELL: Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Very sloppy, I thought, Madam Speaker. This is the man who says that he is concerned about waiting lists for elective surgery but when the government delivers improvements in elective surgery he accuses us of making it up. Well, Madam Speaker, go and tell the 444 people who have got the surgery they needed because of this measure whether that has been made up. Why does he not go and tell them that?
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Ms Porter.
MS PORTER: Minister, what are the challenges that ACT Health faces in the long term in terms of keeping elective surgery waiting lists down?
MADAM SPEAKER: Sorry, Ms Porter. Could you repeat that? I just did not hear most of it. I only heard snippets.
MS PORTER: What are the challenges that ACT Health faces in the long term in terms of keeping elective surgery waiting lists down?
MR CORBELL: I thank Ms Porter for the question. The most significant challenge we face when it comes to the delivery of elective surgery services is the $600 million funding cut being delivered by the federal Liberal government for hospitals in the ACT. That is the most significant cut and challenge that we are facing. This is a federal budget position from the federal Liberal government that is ripping $57 billion out of the health system nationally over the next decade; $57 billion less funding for health and hospital services across the nation.
Here in the ACT that is $600 million less for health and hospital services from the federal government over the next decade. That is the equivalent of 58,000 additional elective surgeries.
Opposition members interjecting—
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video