Page 4058 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 24 October 1990
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dealing with that matter within the administration come to the Government with a recommendation, all of those matters will be properly considered and we will not do anything to redevelop that site until a proper environmental study has been carried out. I think I have made that quite clear many times in the past. I do not know how many times I have to repeat it before it makes an impression on Mr Moore.
Ambulance Service
MR CONNOLLY: My question is to the Minister for Health, Mr Humphries. Does the Government support Mr Duby's statement in this house yesterday that the four ambulances per shift requirement is now merely an aim and no longer a minimum requirement? If so, when will this aim or minimum requirement be met?
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, Mr Connolly was not listening very hard, obviously, during that debate because the comments that Mr Duby made were made in very similar terms by me only shortly beforehand. If he had been paying attention he need not have asked the question about whether we agree with each other. It has always been the aim to achieve that desired standard, to achieve that level of coverage for the ACT. It varies very widely according to occasions. I might say that the desired standard is exceeded on occasions, as for example yesterday when in fact there were five ambulance crews available for service in the ACT.
Mr Berry: What time did the fourth one and the fifth one come on?
MR HUMPHRIES: I might point out for Mr Berry's benefit that there are plenty of ambulances to accommodate five crews. In terms of when that might be achieved, it has not been achieved for a long time in the Territory, if ever.
Mr Connolly: Apart from yesterday.
MR HUMPHRIES: I think you mean, Mr Connolly, as a general rule, on a permanent basis.
Mr Berry: Rubbish, rubbish!
Mr Jensen: Did they do it when you were Minister, Wayne?
Mr Berry: My word it did.
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Berry has again said something that is totally inaccurate and he would very much regret pressing that point in the chamber. In fact, Mr Berry's ambulance service was very little different in that regard. There was no consistent period during which four ambulances were always available and that is the case now, as I indicated
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