Page 3946 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 9 November 1994
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Health Expenditure
MR KAINE: Madam Speaker, through you, I have a question to the Minister for Health and the leading contender for the Logie award for the best actor in B grade movies this year.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Kaine, just stick to "Minister for Health".
MR KAINE: Yes, Madam Speaker. Minister, in answer to an earlier question, you talked about peaks and troughs in health. I have not seen too many troughs, but I would like to refresh your memory about a few peaks. First, since 1991-92, the budget has peaked every year, including this year. It started at $225m in 1991-92; it is now nearly $268m. At the same time that you have been achieving those peaks, the waiting list at the hospital has also been peaking every year. It started in 1991 at 1,160; it is now 3,405 - another noteworthy peak. I am sure that the Minister will know that within that total waiting list there was a disturbing set of statistics that showed that the number of people waiting for six months or more has more than doubled since last September. In fact, there were only 706 last September; there are now 1,550 - another outstanding peak. Would the Minister tell me whether he finds this statistic acceptable; and, if he does not, what is he doing to stop it peaking again next month and the month after?
MR CONNOLLY: Madam Speaker, in relation to the second part of my title in relation to a Logie winning acting performance - and I am glad that the Opposition was intrigued by that - I have been advised by my officials that there was no cash contribution to the making or broadcasting of that ad; although, as I say, some officers from Consumer Affairs did assist in its production. It was a community service announcement. In fact, it was referring to a consumer information product. Once again, the ACT is leading Australia, in that no other jurisdiction in Australia has such a product. It was prepared - as is again so often the case - in close cooperation with Consumer Affairs and the private sector, notably some banks and the Real Estate Institute. It was a very significant project, and that was why it went to air. It did not involve public funds, Mr Humphries. I appreciate that you all think that I did such a good job in the spot. Kerry Packer and Rupert Murdoch: I am open to offers.
Mr Kaine made a couple of points. Firstly, he made the point that ACT health expenditure keeps increasing. Yes, it does, in dollar terms. Let me give you the true picture. Mr Kaine can understand matters of this complexity. I am sure that the rest of you will giggle and guffaw; but I will be directing my answer to Independent members, members of the Labor back bench and Mr Kaine, because at least they will understand it.
Mrs Carnell: What about Madam Speaker?
MR CONNOLLY: Madam Speaker is, of course, a Labor member and, as Chair, understands all. The best picture of relative health expenditures will probably be coming out in the Advance Bank Trends magazine to be published this Friday. I would urge you to read it. It contains a summary by Access Economics. It draws on some work that was recently published in Australia's Health, a publication of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, which shows that per capita expenditure on health in the ACT in the late 1980s was by far the highest in Australia and, alarmingly, trending out, so that the
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