Page 3274 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 13 November 2007
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MR SPEAKER: That is not a point of order.
MRS BURKE: No, it is not.
Mr Stanhope: Well, it is a gross misrepresentation of what I said.
MR SPEAKER: That is not a point of order. Resume your seat.
MRS BURKE: On ABC radio, Mr Stanhope did identify and admit that there were systemic issues with management.
Mr Stanhope: Yes, I did.
MRS BURKE: You did. So why are you saying that you didn’t?
MR SPEAKER: Direct your comments through the chair.
Mr Stanhope: Mr Speaker, I am being misrepresented.
MRS BURKE: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I will direct my comments to you.
Mr Stanhope: I am genuinely being misrepresented here by Mrs Burke in relation to these comments.
MR SPEAKER: Chief Minister, you can rise in the course of the discussion of the matter of public importance and put it right.
Mr Stanhope: Or I can move a substantive motion in relation to the untruths that are being told.
MR SPEAKER: Or you can move a substantive motion, yes.
MRS BURKE: Whatever you wish to do, but I think you are just playing semantics now. You did make an admission that the matter was not about money and it was not about beds. We need to clearly take note of this, and we will continue as an opposition to raise the issue of public hospitals. We will continue to raise the issue of the health system more broadly. We will continue to bring it to the public’s attention. I think that is our duty as the opposition. The government know that. As much as they do not like it, and try and laugh and joke their way through it, this is a serious issue and an issue that goes to the heart of every person in this community, because hospitals are the place of last resort, we hope. But when they get there, we hope that the management practices and procedures that are in place will ensure that patient outcome is paramount.
We also hope that those dedicated people working in our system will not have to endure what is being said in the media. This cannot be put down to the opposition bringing issues to the media; this is down to poor management and to the lack of support that people on the front line are being given. People contact my office to tell
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