Page 2868 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 14 August 2018
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Arthritis and Osteoporosis ACT had used the hydrotherapy pool at the Canberra Hospital for many years, and I am advised that classes were well attended by seniors and younger people suffering from chronic, debilitating medical conditions, as well as by those preparing for further rehabilitation. This is yet another example of this government failing to consult and failing to consider the impacts of its decisions on the everyday life of Canberrans. We have seen it with health changes, we have seen it with bus routes and we have seen it with schools.
While the new pool at Bruce is welcomed, there was no consideration of what impact it might have for people living on the south side. The committee asked that information on the proposed hydrotherapy pool at Mount Stromlo be provided, but the government has only noted the request. It will be up to hydrotherapy service providers to negotiate with whoever wins the operating rights.
Other agencies work closely with health services daily and they are also impacted by these changes, including police and emergency services, and especially the Ambulance Service. The decision to separate ACT Health and Canberra Hospital and health services was the biggest decision taken in the context of the 2018-19 budget, yet treasury was apparently not consulted, nor was anyone else, before the Chief Minister took his decision. The Minister for Health and the Minister for Mental Health say they discussed it regularly, but there is no documentary evidence to support their claims.
Health services are of interest to everyone in the community. There is Indigenous health, children’s health, women’s health, seniors’ health and, as I have already referred to, disability-related health, yet none of the relevant ministers was consulted. It appears to have been a sneaky process to force out the former Director-General of Health without due process.
If someone from ACT Health had been advised, they would have recommended holding off on the restructure of ACT Health until after the restructure had been completed. This would have been good advice. On 5 June the Chief Minister said:
The administrative arrangements are a matter for the Chief Minister to determine.
We heard him repeat those comments earlier today. Of course, the administrative orders have not changed. The Chief Minister is, in effect, saying he can do what he pleases when it comes to government administration. This is a foolish position, and the problems encountered in the accreditation of the Canberra Hospital are due to this ill-timed change.
The decision to restructure ACT Health without going to cabinet or consulting with staff was a dysfunctional decision, and I call on this government to ensure that all Canberrans, particularly in the disability community, are not further adversely impacted.
Proposed expenditure agreed to.
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