Page 2024 - Week 07 - Thursday, 17 June 1993
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Ambulance Service - Overtime and Redundancy Payments
MR KAINE: Madam Speaker, I have a question to the Minister for Health. Minister, in connection with the matter of alleged overpayments to ACT ambulance officers, given that the second report has backed up the first one in exonerating - - -
Mr Lamont: Hello; three in a row.
Mr Humphries: It is a bit hard to get three answers.
Mr Lamont: This is breakfast, dinner and tea.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! Mr Kaine has the floor.
MR KAINE: I would like the Minister to hear this question, Madam Speaker, because then he might answer it. Given that the second report has backed up the first one in exonerating the ambulance officers of any wrongdoing, does the Minister now concede that he has allowed those officers, quite unreasonably, to be exposed to months in the public spotlight, having their reputations and integrity questioned? Does the Minister not concede that he has allowed this to occur?
MR BERRY: Who drafted that question? I can see that you did not, Trevor. You would have more sense than to ask a silly question like that. This is the Canberra Times of 10 April, and the heading is, "TWU calls for AFP to check payments". It goes on to talk about the issue and it shows photographs of the officers. Of course, I did not draw that to the attention of the Canberra Times and neither did my department, so how on earth can you claim that I or any government officer has been responsible for dragging this thing out into the public arena? Mrs Carnell is mostly responsible for all of this. Even the Auditor-General, when he investigates these issues, does not mention the names of people.
Ms Follett: He did not mention Mr Cornwell.
MR BERRY: He did not mention either of two of your colleagues.
Mr Kaine: I did not mention any names, either.
MR BERRY: Neither should you. I would have thought you would have exercised better judgment in relation to these issues. Mrs Carnell has asked for the air to be cleared in relation to this matter. She has talked about a kangaroo court and talked about the officers - - -
Mrs Carnell: What is the date on that, Mr Berry?
MR BERRY: This is 14 April 1993.
Mrs Carnell: That is right; and what is the date today? June?
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