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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 8 Hansard (25 August) . . Page.. 2444 ..
MS CARNELL (continuing):
So there is no failure by this government to successfully negotiate with the Commonwealth for the retention of the ACT Hospice. There was a failure by the previous government to do a sensible deal. Any number of press releases, media statements, Canberra Times articles and editorials show that Mr Connolly, who made the final decision, and Mr Berry, who did all of the initial carrying on, made a dud decision.
There is no way we can keep a facility on Acton Peninsula, no matter who owns the land, when it is designated for national purposes. We all know that the Commonwealth can take back any land in this city at any time they want to. We are a territory, not a state. That is just reality, just the law.
I suppose the frustration of this whole issue is that those opposite, as the Canberra Times , every other media outlet and most commentators have indicated, made a short-term decision. That is fine. Governments can do that. But those opposite have to accept that that is what they did. It was not a long-term decision.
Those opposite have made comments about Mr Moore's position on this, saying that he has done a total backflip. I have here a Canberra Times article from 1992. It is headed "Libs criticise plan for Acton hospice". That was a very long time ago. The article goes through my position on the whole issue, then it goes on to say:
Independent MLA Michael Moore agreed with Ms Carnell's assessment of the Acton site.
"The first mistake on Acton was when the Liberals closed the Royal Canberra Hospital; the second mistake was when Labor failed to retain a community hospital on Acton Peninsula," he said.
"An ad hoc decision to put the hospice on Acton Peninsula could well be a third mistake.
"The optimum site for a hospice is near Calvary as it may well be
(Extension of time granted) He then talked about Bruce Hostel and a number of other issues. Anybody who looked at the issue at the time, not just for five months or a couple of months but for years, knew that Acton Peninsula, as the Commonwealth said, was going to be a site of national significance. Our capacity to maintain a hospice on that site was always under a cloud, as is said in writing, as the Canberra Times said.
Mr Speaker, the first part of this motion, the part noting certain things, is simply incorrect. The Government is consulting with the ACT Hospice and Palliative Care Society. This Government, given an opportunity to do so, will ensure that another facility is ready before we have to vacate the Acton Peninsula site. Therefore there will continue to be a hospice facility in this city.
The Labor Party never managed to open a hospice during their time in government. The hospice was opened after they went out of government.
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