Page 220 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 12 May 1992
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The Liberals seem to have this magic pudding approach to corporatisation, that all you have to do is wave the corporatisation wand at something and, like a magic pudding, it will produce endless dollars. During the election campaign they were saying that to corporatise ACTEW would result in an additional $12m, and they were going to corporatise something else that was going to be worth $12m. I was expecting that they would want us to corporatise the Cemeteries Trust and make a profit of $12m. It was like a broken record.
With ACTEW, we take the view that not only is it not broke but it is performing remarkably well, remarkably efficiently, and we will continue to achieve micro-economic reform through better efficiencies, as we have done with the bus network, which you lot failed to do. When this lot were in power they talked about micro-economic reform, but they blew out the bus budget by $7.5m. In our last budget we brought that down by $2m. Yesterday we got agreement to a set of reforms that are probably worth another $1m in the next 12 months. We are achieving micro-economic reform, while you lot are bleating about it.
Methadone Program
MRS GRASSBY: My question is to the Minister for Health. In today's Canberra Times Mrs Carnell was quoted as saying that the methadone program - I put it in quotes, as it was in the Canberra Times - is "no good". Is this claim true?
MR BERRY: I thank the member for the question. Of course the claim is completely untrue. But I have to say, Madam Speaker, that truth has not always played a major role in some of the claims that have been made by the Liberal Party in relation to health matters in the ACT. With this passion for privatisation, which the Liberals have generated over a period now and which has emerged in its best form in the "frightpack" - - -
Mr Humphries: Oh, very good - his joke for the week!
MR BERRY: The Liberals are of course attacking the public hospital system. The "frightpack" is the joke of the year. Here we have a bunch of people who are infatuated with privatisation, to the point - - -
Mr Moore: On a point of order, Madam Speaker: Under standing order 52 a member may not reflect upon any vote of the Assembly, except upon a motion that such a vote be rescinded. This Assembly, at its last sitting, voted to support major changes in and expansion of the methadone program. That being the case, the statement being made by Mr Berry at the moment is a reflection on that vote.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Berry, please continue.
MR BERRY: I really do not need to argue a case on that one. That was not a bad try, but you will have to do better.
Some real improvements have occurred in the methadone program. For a member of this Assembly to come out and say that it is no good is an absolute disgrace, because it is well known that the methadone program in the ACT is a good one. It is all right for people to come out and criticise shortcomings; that is fair enough, if they want some things improved. But it is not all right to say that the whole thing is shot, because it is not; it is a good program.
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