Page 2547 - Week 08 - Thursday, 30 June 2005
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MR CORBELL (Molonglo-Minister for Health and Minister for Planning) (3.18): I seek leave to move a motion to authorise publication of the responses to questions taken during the 2005-2006 estimates hearing.
Leave granted.
MR CORBELL: I move:
That the Assembly authorises publication of the papers.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Personal explanations
MR SMYTH: I seek leave under standing order 46 to make a personal explanation.
Leave granted.
MR SMYTH: Mr Speaker, during question time Mr Corbell said that on an ABC interview this morning I changed my mind as to the number of beds that should be required from 100 to 70. That is incorrect. If Mr Corbell wants to check the tape, or the transcript, the interviewer actually asked whether those beds could be accommodated and I said that there was room immediately for 70 beds between the Canberra and Calvary hospitals. On a different matter, Mr Corbell also said that I had not mentioned the success in category 1. Indeed I did, and I congratulated the minister. But the minister then went on to say that 100 per cent of people have been seen in category 1 time frames against the national average of 67 per cent. Mr Corbell, I assume, has inadvertently misled the Assembly. The actual national average—
MR SPEAKER: Withdraw that—just withdraw that.
MR SMYTH: I withdraw that. He has inadvertently not used factual content in a statement. The ministerial code of conduct says that ministers should take reasonable steps to ensure the factual content of statements they make in the Assembly—
MR SPEAKER: You are debating the issue now, Mr Smyth. You can make a personal statement about claims that have been made about you, but you are not going to debate the issue.
MR SMYTH: All right, Mr Speaker. The opportunity is there for the minister to correct the record.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Corbell.
MR CORBELL: I seek leave to make a personal explanation.
Leave granted.
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