Page 1275 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 3 April 2019
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MR BARR: No, definitely not a proposal in that regard. No residents will be subject to any arrangements at this point and none will be until the 2030s. There is a lot of time to resolve this issue. There will be numerous chief ministers and premiers before there is any development in that area as it is more than a decade away. I assure members I will not be the Chief Minister in 2030—I can give you that commitment—there will be new New South Wales premiers and, on our current rate of churning through prime ministers, unless there is a change of government next month, the Liberal Party will certainly churn through at least five prime ministers in a decade, on their current form.
MS CODY: Chief Minister, what services do rates get you in the ACT that are not available to New South Wales council ratepayers?
MR BARR: Of course our unique governance structure that sees us provide both local government and state government services means that rates paid in the ACT also go to the provision of health, education, police and emergency services, community services—things like housing, for example—as well as economic development and tourism and services that are provided at a state level. The two are not comparable, clearly, because the remit of local government in New South Wales is much narrower. Where there is an overlap is in the provision, for example, of waste collection services and some planning services but not all, as many are handled at a state level within New South Wales as well.
There are clear points of difference. This is one of the complexities of any cross-border arrangement that would see that development be in New South Wales but only accessible through the ACT and with ACT services being the only logical provision.
That is why I think it is fundamental that the border move—and that remains our position—and I see no reason why that cannot occur, because it is the most sensible outcome. But again I stress that it is not an immediate concern. It is one that we will need to address as governments in the next 10 years.
Canberra Health Services—unauthorised examinations
MRS JONES: My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Minister, regarding the aforementioned examinations, in the six weeks between 7 February and 21 March, what did Canberra Health Services do to inform its initial advice to you that there had been no consumer complaints?
MS FITZHARRIS: I note that my original statement was made in the sitting of 21 March, when I said:
Canberra Health Services have investigated that and said that it is not the case but they will continue to look very closely at this.
That is what they have done, and I referred yesterday in my answers to a range of meetings that have taken place. This is, as was discussed yesterday, a serious matter. I am glad that Mrs Dunne was able to take up an opportunity this morning to be
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