Page 1067 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 20 April 1994
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It makes an absolute mockery of the Government's commitment to maintain bed numbers at the same level as when Royal Canberra Hospital was closed. It shows that the Government simply cannot be believed. Its promises obviously count for nothing, and Mr Connolly has obviously just backed that up. In fact, in late August, the then Minister, Mr Berry, said:
We're on the way to a better health system.
It is very hard to think of what I could say about that, without suggesting that it might not have been the whole truth. He must have known that the system was collapsing around him.
Mr Berry: I raise a point of order. I think that is another imputation that somebody told an untruth.
MRS CARNELL: That has been allowed before.
Mr Berry: The imputation is there. You either rule it in or rule it out.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: I rule that there is no point of order. Please continue, Mrs Carnell. Imputations can be interpreted in many ways. Please be careful, Mrs Carnell.
MRS CARNELL: I shall. Mr Berry must have known that the system was collapsing when he made that comment; but, as we now know from another celebrated occasion of recent days, the facts really have never interfered with a good story for Mr Berry.
When it comes to the financial management of Health, the facts again speak for themselves. The costs of ACT public health services are 30 per cent higher than the Australian average. They are not my figures, Mr Berry, as you know. They are the figures of repeated studies, and they were confirmed late last year by a Federal Health Department study.
Mr Berry: In 1988.
MRS CARNELL: In 1988; but again last year, if you remember, in the case-mix study. It is a clear demonstration of Mr Berry's incapacity to manage the system. Over the last two years recurrent expenditure has overrun by some $17m. Already this year's budget has blown out by some $5m. I was really interested, though, that Mr Connolly claimed that he was going to bring Health in on budget. It certainly will be interesting to see whether Mr Connolly can deliver on that one.
Mr Connolly: Not necessarily in the next six weeks.
MRS CARNELL: I assumed that you meant this year, Mr Connolly. Why not? I cannot understand why not. I say to the new Minister: Listen to the people who are trying to work in our health system, the health system that you have inherited. During our hotline one of your employees called us in frustration and said:
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