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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 2 Hansard (29 February) . . Page.. 482 ..

Mr Humphries: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: I ask the Leader of the Opposition: Will she now table the VITAB contract as part of this process?

MR SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

MS FOLLETT: For my own party's part, we are perfectly prepared to have a look at the document Mrs Carnell has brought down to the Assembly and to adjourn the debate until after members have had a look at it. I think that is an entirely reasonable approach and it is one we are certainly prepared to take. If the Government is not prepared to accede to that process, you have to doubt their motivation in this whole debate.

Debate (on motion by Mr Berry) adjourned.

MS FOLLETT: Mr Speaker, I direct a question without notice to Mrs Carnell in her capacity as Minister for Health and Community Care. In the last Assembly election campaign, in your Liberal ageing policy, on pages 5 and 6, you made a promise to:

Construct two new nursing homes, each of 80 bed capacity, in partnership with the not-for-profit sector, at Belconnen and Tuggeranong.

Last week in the Assembly, you said in relation to that promise:

The comment about nursing homes suggested that we promised two new nursing homes. Certainly, we did. One will open in Page later this year.

With this statement you claimed credit for the nursing home at Page as fulfilling your commitment to provide two new nursing homes. However, on 22 August 1995, you acknowledged that the Federal Government allocated 40 nursing home beds to Page in 1994, on the recommendation of the then Health Minister, Terry Connolly. Mrs Carnell, will you now concede that you have misled the house, and apologise?

MRS CARNELL: No. The reality is that a new nursing home at Page will open later this year. The ACT Government provided the land for those nursing home beds. We also undertook, as Ms Follett said, under the previous Government, to transfer the 40 beds from Lower Jindalee to Page, and also the 20 nursing home beds at Calvary Hospital that the ACT Government currently funds directly. The reality is that the ACT Government at this stage, with Page, plus keeping Jindalee in its current position - remember that that policy, or that - - -

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