Page 2574 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 10 August 2016
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$60 million for infrastructure following the closure of 23 schools and the failure of maintenance, $17.5 million to support children with special needs in the non-government sector, and $7.5 million for capital and recurrent projects in our specialised schools. I spoke about that yesterday, and I will keep speaking about that in the community. That announcement was really welcomed by so many parents and educators across both the public and the independent school systems. We were getting back slaps with people saying: “Finally, somebody is going to look after our special needs kids across the whole system. Well done.” From teachers we heard: “Well done. We need this infrastructure to be fixed up.”
The other policy announcement that was particularly significant was from Mr Coe with Canberra’s transport future for all Canberrans. There is a website. There is a brochure. It will revolutionise the bus system that has, under the current Labor government, deteriorated to such a point that we have the lowest patronage in generations, if not ever, at 6.9 per cent. It is clear that the bus system is not working under Labor. Mr Coe has put out a comprehensive plan to revolutionise public transport in this town for all Canberrans. The merit of it is clear in that the Labor Party has started copying many elements of what Mr Coe proposed. There is no better form of flattery than imitation.
We come to health, which is my number one priority: to fix the health system. I have spoken many times in this place about the problems in our health system, and they are many, from capacity, ageing infrastructure, toxic workplaces—there are so many problems that affect not just patients but also staff. But one of the fundamental problems is the Canberra Hospital, and a number of years ago a previous health minister in this place, Katy Gallagher, proposed a rebuild of the Canberra Hospital. It was then an $800 million project. I received a number of briefings on it and talked about in on a number of occasions in estimates hearings and health hearings. An amount of $41 million was put into the 2011 budget to start that project rolling.
Sadly, after the 2012 election that all started to fall apart. The Labor Party went into the election promising an $800 million rebuild of the Canberra Hospital. That was the promise. That was put in the budget. They said they were doing this. I can give you all the quotes and budget releases and press statements and speeches in the Assembly and answers to questions on notice. They said they were going to do this. They made the case that this needed to be done. Ms Gallagher repeatedly made the case that this needed to be done. Very sadly and to the outrage of many who work at the Canberra Hospital, the Labor Party pulled the plug on it.
Stage 1 of this project in the design was costed at $375 million. That is what the experts said it was going to cost to build stage 1, which is a five-storey rebuild of building 3 on that old site. I was out there this morning—it is a dilapidated old building. The decanting of that building started; they started that process. It is passing strange and quite a remarkable coincidence that the exact amount that has been put in the budget for light rail for infrastructure is $375 million. The exact amount that this government ripped out of the Canberra Hospital rebuild is the exact amount that is being put into the tram.
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