Page 3994 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 22 October 1991

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MR BERRY: I will just close by saying that, thankfully, Labor came to office in June this year and we were able to conduct a review of that hospital system with the expert review that was put in place by Labor. We discovered the major flaw in the Alliance Government's hospital policy, and that was that there was no need for a private hospital on the shores of Lake Ginninderra. Had that Alliance Government been allowed to pursue that policy, the hospital system would have been in a worse state than it is currently.

Police Ministers Conference

MR COLLAERY: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Attorney and Minister responsible for police affairs, Mr Connolly. I ask him whether it is true that he is not attending the Australian Police Ministers meeting in Melbourne tomorrow. If so, would he outline to the house the basis for his not representing the people of the ACT at that conference?

MR CONNOLLY: Mr Speaker, I will be very pleased to answer that question fully and comprehensively. Last year the Labor Party was very critical of the amount of money that was spent on travel by the Alliance Government, which seemed much more eager to leap on an aeroplane and travel to exotic destinations than it was to front up to the basic problems and confronting the Labor Party.

At the Estimates Committee last year we extracted the information that in the first six months of the Alliance Government they managed to spend something like $39,629 on travel, with which the first six months of the Labor Government will bear stark comparison. But, as Ms Follett said last year after asking some very detailed questions on notice, that was just a warm-up. In the second six months, 1 July to 5 December - I am not sure why that was the cut-off date, but it was last year - - -

Mr Collaery: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: We have had all these figures before. I ask the member whether he will simply answer the question.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you.

Mr Collaery: It is not new, Mr Speaker. He can provide that anywhere he likes. I want an answer to a short, sharp question.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Collaery, you do not have the floor. That is not a valid point of order. The Minister can answer it in the manner in which he wishes. Please proceed - - -


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