Page 2658 - Week 12 - Thursday, 16 November 1989

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A member: That's true.

MR DUBY: Yes. We have a board of management whose job is to manage and follow government policy and direction. If there has been a blow-out, where does the blame lie? That is the question that needs to be asked. I, like Mr Moore, am not in a position to say that I have full confidence in the hospital interim board of directors. I have no doubt that they are doing a very good job - - -

Mr Humphries: There has been no charge against them.

MR DUBY: There has been no charge against them. I am not going to be railroaded into accepting a motion in this Assembly which gives them a blank cheque for direction and a blank cheque of approval, following actions that they may have taken, actions with which I am not familiar.

At the same time I wish to make it perfectly clear that I have no reason whatsoever to have no confidence in the hospital interim board of management. Therefore, I personally am not prepared to give them a blank cheque of approval for whatever actions they may have been taking since this Minister has been in place.

Mr Humphries: You are playing into the Government's hands.

MR DUBY: You have got us between a rock and a hard place here, Mr Humphries, because we either play into the Government's hands or we play into yours. All in all, it is a very cheeky motion, I believe.

Mr Humphries: It is based on the principle that you are innocent until proven guilty.

MR DUBY: I am a great adherent to that principle, as all will know.

Mr Jensen: Well, that solves the problem. Vote for the motion.

MR DUBY: Accordingly, yes, but it goes both ways. As far as I am concerned, the Minister is innocent until proven guilty.

Mr Humphries: We are not accusing him of anything.

MR DUBY: You certainly are. The other point is that the motion then addresses the Kearney report. I have doubts about the Kearney report. I do not accept it as holy writ which has to be followed slavishly, as something that is held up.

Mr Humphries: Have you got a better policy?

MR DUBY: I may well have, Mr Humphries, but all I am suggesting is that, because it is mentioned in the Kearney


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