Page 1909 - Week 07 - Thursday, 20 August 1992
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Madam Speaker, in addition, I addressed the ACT Occupational Health and Safety Council meeting on 20 September 1991. It was indicated at that meeting that the Government was concerned about existing sizes of designated work groups and that it wished to reduce the size of the designated work groups. The ACT Occupational Health and Safety Council also comprises representatives of CONFACT, the Canberra Business Council and the Australian Federation of Construction Contractors. Finally, Madam Speaker, the proposed amendments were a clear pre-election policy commitment of the Government. We not only consulted widely with the business community and the trade union movement in the lead-up to the introduction of this legislation into the ACT Assembly; it also was a clear plank of our platform upon which we were elected and it is a promise that we intend to implement as soon as possible.
Hospital Patients
MRS CARNELL: My question is also to Mr Berry. In this week's Federal budget it was announced that State governments would be paid an incentive payment if they contracted out patients with private health insurance to private hospitals. I ask the Minister: Given that the ACT has the lowest ratio of private hospital beds per head of population in the country, but one of the highest levels of private health insurance, just how will the ACT take advantage of this offer?
MR BERRY: The details of those sorts of issues, as Mrs Carnell, Mr Humphries and Mr Kaine know - the other two might know and Mr Cornwell might not know - have to be worked out in the process of dealing with the outcomes from the Federal budget. But what - - -
Mrs Carnell: I know about them. I know more than you.
MR BERRY: I doubt that.
Mr Kaine: At least if you asked her she could tell you what her middle name is without equivocating. I doubt that you could.
MR BERRY: Would you like to ask me?
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Berry has the floor. Continue, Mr Berry.
MR BERRY: Thank you, Madam Speaker. The issue of contracting public hospital services out to the private sector is one that has been raised in the Federal budget context. I have to say, from my own point of view, that it is something that I would prefer not to have to do, because if it can be provided within the private sector I am sure that if additional funds were made available for the public sector we could provide additional services as well.
Mrs Carnell: But you will not get them unless you do it.
MR BERRY: Mrs Carnell says, "You will not get them unless you do it". That may well be the case. The details of all of the announcement in the Federal Government's budget have to be worked out in terms of the shares that various States use, how that money will be spent and the arrangements under which it
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