Page 4795 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 27 November 2018
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MR GENTLEMAN: Thank you, Madam Speaker. As I said, we should get on with the business of this Assembly. We should get back to delivering what really matters—
Mr Wall interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Wall, no more.
MR GENTLEMAN: for Canberrans, making our city even more inclusive, progressive and connected, something this stable territory government has been doing and will continue to do.
MS LE COUTEUR (Murrumbidgee) (10.08): The Greens do not support the suspension of standing orders, for a couple of reasons. We have talked about these issues at great length in this Assembly. Virtually every sitting week we have canvassed them. I really do not think there is the need to push them in without any notice. This is my second point: I understand that admin and procedure has been looking at the issue of notice and, while this would be slightly premature, I think it would be possible for members of the opposition to reflect on what I understand admin and procedure is going to put forward. I think it is going to be a 90-minute notice. These things with no notice are simply ridiculous pieces of theatre.
Mr Coe: Not no notice.
MS LE COUTEUR: What notice? There is really nothing much more to say. The Greens do not support this.
MR COE (Yerrabi—Leader of the Opposition) (10.09): I think it is very important that the Assembly is able to do its job and hold this minister to account. That is our responsibility. That is what we have been elected to do. It is an important function of the Assembly that we hold the executive to account. They have to be responsible for the decisions that they make.
When I look at Mrs Dunne’s motion—I look at 1(a) through to 1(e)—which of these is not true? Has there been systemic bullying at the hospital? Is there a poor culture and poor management? Is there a high turnover of staff in the ACT health system? Are there worsening elective surgery waiting times? Are there failures in infrastructure in the health system? Are there delays to the delivery of surgical procedures? Each of those is a matter of fact. They are all the truth.
This minister has been responsible for two years and prior to that was an assistant minister. For the last three years this minister has been meeting with the Director-General of Health on a weekly basis. Yet somehow this minister is not responsible. Somehow those opposite do not think that the Assembly should be holding the government to account. It is wrong. It is the opposition’s duty to ensure that Canberrans are well served by their government and it is clear that they are not. They are particularly being let down by way of health services in the territory. The minister for health is, of course, responsible for that, and we should be able to have that debate here.
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