Page 1643 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 9 May 2018
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lives when they are perhaps at their most vulnerable, and we need to make sure the system is capable of supporting them at that critical moment in their journey to wellness.
There are many people who have excellent experiences in our health system every day, and we should not forget that in amongst some of the issues we are currently dealing with there are many positive stories and many people who get the help they exactly need. Our system is full of committed and experienced staff who go to work every day doing their best to improve the lives of people in our community who need help. I appreciate that the past few weeks have been a difficult time for those staff. Today I want to reiterate my commitment to working with them to deliver the best health outcomes we can here in the territory.
The issues that Mrs Dunne has raised in her motion today and yesterday are important and worthy of discussion. But as I said yesterday, the original motion does not paint the full picture of what is happening to respond to these issues. For that reason, the Greens will be supporting the amendment put forward by Minister Fitzharris. I look forward to continuing to work with the minister to improve health services for the Canberra community.
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (10.46): I get the impression that no-one else is falling over themselves to speak on this matter. When I was making my comments, I did note that the minister had circulated a page and a half of amendments. I am flattered that the minister, with the resources of her department and her ministerial office, can be put under such pressure by one opposition member and her three staff that she does not have the capacity to provide such a lengthy amendment in a timely fashion. I take it as a badge of honour that the minister is under such pressure that she cannot fulfil the courtesies of this place.
If the members of the opposition did what the minister for health just did, there would be an outcry. We would have Mr Rattenbury or Ms Le Couteur saying, “We cannot possibly contemplate these amendments because we haven’t had enough notice.” It is what happens every Wednesday. If we put forward an amendment, their response is to say, “We cannot possibly contemplate it. You have not given us enough time.” This minister thinks it is okay to wait until I get on my feet to move a 1½-page amendment.
Ms Lawder: She is too busy.
MRS DUNNE: She is being put under such pressure, by her own admission. “Mrs Dunne has kept me so busy that I have not had time to do this.” Mrs Dunne is Mrs Dunne and her three staff. This minister has 7,000 public servants and a ministerial office three times the size of my office and she cannot get her act together to show the courtesies of this place.
I welcome some of the stuff that is in this motion. I welcome the fact that the minister has already tabled a copy of the letter that we asked for. I welcome also the apparent willingness to report on some matters. I also notice that there is a complete reluctance to report on some other matters.
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