Page 3980 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 16 December 1992
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Public Hospitals - Activity Levels
MR HUMPHRIES: My question is also to the Minister for Health. On 17 November the Minister told the Assembly what he had already said to the Estimates Committee - that activity levels in the public hospital system this year were expected to be "about the same as last year but we hope to do better". Does "better" mean greater activity or less activity?
MR BERRY: It means better. It means more people.
Mr Humphries: But what does it mean? More activity or less activity?
MR BERRY: It means more people.
Mr Humphries: More activity.
MR BERRY: It means better. What does "better" mean? Last year, I said, we had budgeted for a given level of activity and we did better. We expect about the same level this year but we hope to do better. I have said that repeatedly. We hope to see more people.
Mr Humphries: What does "better" mean?
MR BERRY: We hope to see more people.
Mrs Carnell: For the same money.
MR BERRY: Have a look at the budget. We hope to do better for the money that is in the budget.
NRMA-ACT Road Safety Trust
MRS GRASSBY: Madam Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Urban Services. Can the Minister inform the Assembly of any project that has been funded by the NRMA-ACT Road Safety Trust?
MR CONNOLLY: I am delighted to let Mrs Grassby know that the first payments coming out of the NRMA-ACT Road Safety Trust were made this morning.
Mr De Domenico: How coincidental!
MR CONNOLLY: Mrs Grassby has her finger on the pulse. She knows that things are happening and she realised that something might be happening today.
Madam Speaker, members would recall that last year this Government successfully negotiated with the NRMA some $20m of excess profits that had been earned as a result of a setting of third-party insurance premiums over the decade of the 1980s, in effect. They were somewhat too high. The result of that unprecedented deal was that that $20m, rather than remaining in the company's ownership - it was a lawful, legitimate profit - was to be returned to the ACT community. I stress "the community", not the Government. This money never
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