Page 1959 - Week 06 - Thursday, 2 May 1991
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Is the Minister aware that the acting director of pathology spends three afternoons per week working for a private pathology company in competition with the Board of Health's pathology department? Is he aware? Well, he might find out after this debate. How will the Minister resolve this conflict of interest? I hope that the Government expresses more interest in resolving conflict of interest on this issue than it has done with its committee system. Will the Minister instruct the acting director of pathology to desist from discouraging work in his pathology department, the result of which would lead to increased work in private pathology in the ACT? I think those questions are worthy of an answer to this Assembly, and I am very pleased to place them on the public record.
Oxygen Supplies
MR HUMPHRIES (Minister for Health, Education and the Arts) (4.38): Mr Speaker, Mr Berry again has descended to the very low depths that we know only he in this place is capable of descending to. Mr Berry has again raised a particular person's medical problems as a means by which to extract some political points in this place.
Ms Follett: As a desperation measure.
MR HUMPHRIES: It is not a desperation measure; he raised it some weeks ago in the same context.
Mr Berry: Two-and-a-half months ago it was raised.
MR SPEAKER: Order!
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, if I do not get enough time to finish my comments, I will ask for an extension of time; so members opposite should just be warned.
Mr Connolly: You do not get extensions of time on the adjournment.
MR HUMPHRIES: We will see about that. Mr Speaker, the fact is that Mr Berry did raise this matter some time ago. It is not 2 months since the Government first responded to it.
Mr Berry: But this is where the letter - 2 months - - -
MR HUMPHRIES: No, I spoke to you and your offsider in my office some weeks ago. I have since written to you and I also spoke to you in the house at the beginning of this sitting fortnight, as I recall, on that subject. So, Mr Berry has not had no response in 2 months. That is untrue. The issue is not whether Mr Sieler receives oxygen so that he can continue working. Mr Sieler works to be paid money. Mr Sieler receives money for his work and, out of that money, Mr Sieler has paid for oxygen.
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