Page 168 - Week 01 - Thursday, 9 April 1992
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Health Budget
MR LAMONT: My question is directed to the Minister for Health. What has Labor done to overcome the financial difficulties in Health inherited from the Liberals?
MR BERRY: This is another - - -
Mr Humphries: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I know that it is the practice to take questions from either side of the chamber, but there are people on this side of the chamber who have had no questions at all yet today while people on that side of the chamber are now having a second question. I would submit to you respectfully that it would be fairer to have everybody have at least one chance to ask a question before seconds are taken.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Humphries, for that advice. I will bear it in mind for the next question time.
MR BERRY: This is another issue which presents itself in a timely way because I think it is about time we capped this issue. I say that because the Liberals have tried to wring out of Labor's brilliant response in health financial management some sort of a headline. Of course, they have not really done so. The Canberra Times might have been their ally on this subject, but when it comes to detail even the Canberra Times is not as careful as it ought to be about the depth of its reporting.
Health financial management is one issue on which the Labor Party can assuredly put a feather in its cap. We have been able to salvage out of the mess that was left to us by the Liberals a financial system which is not out of the woods yet. Nobody has ever said that. It is a difficult job. It is something that we have to put a lot of energy into and we have to rely on a lot of discipline.
Mr Kaine: Since it was our financial system it ought to be a good one.
MR BERRY: Mr Kaine interjects. He said, "Since it was our financial system ...". Your financial system was in a disgraceful mess and it had to be fixed.
Mr Kaine: It was ours. We put it into place and, incidentally, Fiscal was in place long before you extended it into the health area. You ought to go and talk to the Treasurer about how long Fiscal has been in place.
MR BERRY: The former Treasurer who interjects opposite did not know that his health budget was in crisis, and his Health Minister could not even be bothered to put the energy into finding out what was wrong. Subsequently it exploded underneath them and Canberra became aware of the hopeless approach that the Liberals had had to health management. Immediately on taking office, Labor moved quickly because we knew that there were some issues that had to be resolved quickly. We moved quickly to ensure that, firstly, there was a new discipline in - - -
Mr Kaine: I take a point of order, Madam Speaker. I did not believe, and I still do not believe, that question time is a place for Ministers to make statements. I would ask him to address the question quickly, if he intends to address it at all, and then sit down. If he wants to make a statement he can make it after question time, and we have given him permission to do so.
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