Page 2239 - Week 07 - Thursday, 27 August 2020
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MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, you will withdraw that. There is an implication that the minister has been lying about service delivery. I ask you to withdraw.
Mr Hanson: It was actually a lie about the delivery of the hospital but—
MADAM SPEAKER: You will withdraw or you will sit down and you will be warned.
Mr Hanson: I will withdraw.
MADAM SPEAKER: Did you withdraw?
Mr Hanson: I will withdraw again if you like.
MADAM SPEAKER: You are now warned, just to wind up the last sitting day.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: Thank you, Madam Speaker. As I was saying, the culture survey conducted at Canberra Health Services late last year actually has the best outcome in terms of culture that has ever been seen across ACT Health Services. Was it where we want it to be? Absolutely not, but that is why we had the independent review into the culture of health services across the public health system. Calvary, Canberra Hospital, the University of Canberra Hospital and our Health Directorate—all of those were covered. We are responding to the 20 recommendations but we are also going beyond that. Minister Rattenbury and I had a really good meeting with the culture review oversight group earlier this week.
MRS DUNNE: Minister, to what extent does poor treatment of junior doctors, such as underpayment for long hours that they have worked, give the ACT a poor reputation?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Mrs Dunne for the supplementary. The CEO of Canberra Health Services, Bernadette McDonald—and, in fact, the AMA—have rejected Mrs Dunne’s claims in relation to this matter. There is a lot of work going on in Canberra Health Services, as there is in Calvary, to support our junior doctors and to ensure that in fact we can address the longstanding culture of people being expected to work long hours.
Last week we spoke about the payroll issue, and I have addressed that issue comprehensively.
Canberra Health Services—staff wages
MADAM SPEAKER: I welcome you for your last question, Mrs Dunne.
MRS DUNNE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is, surprisingly enough, to the Minister for Health. Minister, it is my understanding that the ACT government has been aware of systemic underpayment of employees of the Canberra health service since July 2018 at the latest. When did you first become aware?
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