Page 3004 - Week 10 - Thursday, 15 September 1994
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I received from the director of the Emergency Department was that many of the matters as alleged are not correct; but I cannot canvass that here. We have established an independent Health Complaints Commissioner with full ombudsman-style powers, enormous powers, to go into the health bureaucracy, to demand to see files, to demand papers. Everything will be documented. Mrs Carnell, if this is not the case that I have already had referred to me - - -
Mrs Carnell: No.
MR CONNOLLY: So, I have not seen this. There has been no opportunity for us to comment, but Mrs Carnell likes to run a political stunt here in the Assembly. Mrs Carnell, running people's individual health matters in the Assembly is fine ethical politics! If Mrs Carnell chooses to give me this material, we will pass it to the Health Complaints Commissioner and the matter will be fully investigated, Madam Speaker. Mrs Carnell likes to play politics and to say that things are in crisis in the ACT health system. Madam Speaker, if there is stress now, if this foolish Opposition Leader's foolish promises to slash $31m out of health expenditure, proven in this chamber the other day in her own words, were to occur under a Liberal government, the system would not be stressed; it would totally and utterly collapse. Mrs Carnell's attempts to run these sorts of things would look - - -
Mr Humphries: What a load of rubbish! How much are you going to cut from the system?
MR CONNOLLY: What we have said, Mr Humphries, is that we are going to seek to get these efficiencies put back into the health system to deliver more and better services. You are promising to slash $31m from health expenditure; that is, $31m out of a hospital system that runs on about $170m. It is a massive, unprecedented expenditure reduction. It would make Jeff Kennett's hospital reduction policy look generous.
Housing Policy
MRS GRASSBY: My question is to the Deputy Chief Minister in his capacity as Minister for Housing and Community Services. Has the Government made an assessment of the treatment of housing in the Liberal Party manifesto - The Things That Matter - or is it "The Things That Batter"? Will this document affect the Government's housing policy?
MR LAMONT: I thank the member for her question and I think - - -
Mr Kaine: On a point of order, Madam Speaker: Since the question refers to a document that has nothing whatsoever to do with this house, I would ask you to rule on whether it is within the jurisdiction of this Minister to reply.
Mr Humphries: It is a Federal document; it is a Federal matter.
Mr Kaine: He has no knowledge of the document. It is the property of the Federal party.
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