Page 1964 - Week 07 - Thursday, 23 August 2007
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We have a double situation here. There are unsubstantiated allegations which, if not true, are causing severe damage to the reputation of our public hospitals. If they are true—and Mrs Burke will not reveal the details of the equipment shortages—it potentially puts the lives of patients at risk. Mrs Burke has today said that she has specific, explicit evidence of equipment shortages at Canberra and Calvary hospitals. She nods now in agreement.
If that is the case, then surely, Mr Speaker, for Mrs Burke not to provide that information to the Minister for Health and our hospital authorities potentially puts at risk the lives of patients. That is untenable. I cannot sit here and be advised by the shadow minister for health that she has knowledge of such seriousness going to the absence of equipment within our public hospitals that might lead to the death of a patient and for her not to provide that. It is staggering and stunning that the shadow minister for health has in her possession evidence of an absence of equipment which potentially, because of its absence, could lead to patients dying and she refuses to provide it to us.
This is a serious matter. Mrs Burke must provide this information to the minister through the Assembly so that the minister can respond immediately to the evidence which Mrs Burke claims to have and so that we can do one of two things; that is, rebut it or respond to it. Surely we need the evidence so that we can formally rebut it if it is not true. If it is true, we can respond to it and ensure that no patient at the Canberra hospital or Calvary hospital suffers or potentially dies as a result of the absence of equipment known to Mrs Burke.
MR STEFANIAK (Ginninderra—Leader of the Opposition) (4.00): I think this motion is a stunt. I am interested that at least the Chief Minister has not asked for information that will enable these people to be identified. But it really concerns me that there are people out there—and we see them reasonably regularly—who are scared to come forward because they will be identified. Rightly or wrongly, they fear for their jobs. I think we have a duty in this Assembly to ensure that we protect constituents who come to us with problems.
The fundamental point here is that there is another simple solution. If we can get some material to you that does not identify people, we certainly will. But there is another thing, too, and that is for the minister to actually check this out herself and to tell the hospital to make sure that any shortages are actually rectified so that there is a steady stream of the necessary equipment coming forward.
Mr Stanhope: We have done that.
MR STEFANIAK: If you have done that, that is fine. That is good. There might have been a glitch. You might have overcome it. Well and good; we can all move on. But I find it a bit rich. It is absolutely hypocritical for this government to move a motion like this requiring Mrs Burke to table documents which she is obviously reluctant to do because of fear of people being fingered—
Mr Stanhope: Of being made a fool.
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