Page 2172 - Week 06 - Thursday, 26 June 2008
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I know that the government does not like these figures, but they are figures compiled by a national body and I believe that they are beyond reproach in terms of their accuracy and applicability. I have previously raised these figures and those that are featured in earlier AIHW reports, since the year I first took up my role in the Assembly, and each time I have made the same point. The solution to fixing problems in the health system is not simply to throw more money at the problem. The health system is already the biggest single line item in the budget, and appropriately so. We desperately need improvements to the health system, but this does not necessarily equate to the need for constantly increasing funding without addressing efficiency issues.
I have said before and will say again: we need a well-run, efficient health system. Quick fixes are not the answer and I am pleased that this budget contains some well-thought-through initiatives. We need to explore state-of-the-art, world-leading systems and consider departing from traditional approaches in favour of more efficient processes. The government have made noises about doing this and I would urge them to continue their efforts and to report to the Assembly on progress as soon as possible.
It is worth noting that, although I do not believe over the last six or seven years the government has handled the health portfolio particularly brilliantly, I am still not sure that the ACT Liberal Party would do any better. I was interested to hear Ms Gallagher criticising the Liberal Party in question time today over their lack of action on health. She forgot, I think, that the Liberals do have one policy on the table, created by Mrs Burke and Mr Smyth and costed by the latter. The Liberal Party are committed to providing 100 acute care hospital beds immediately upon election. They made this undertaking last year.
I was shadow Treasurer at the time and it was only regard for party solidarity that prevented me from speaking out about this initiative, but it was costed outside of my office and it was costed very poorly. I checked Mr Smyth’s costings with the then federal Liberal government and they were wrong. After my departure from the party, I checked them with the ACT government. The minister made available the senior officials to meet with me and discuss these and what was going on in the territory government. Again, the figures the opposition had come up with were proven to be wrong.
It is interesting that we have not heard the Liberal Party spruiking this policy of late. There has been a resounding silence. But if this is the approach of the Liberal team—
Mrs Burke: We are not like the government, going over it over and over again.
MR MULCAHY: Mrs Burke, if you are going to stick to that policy I am more than happy to share with you some of the information that came from Mr Tony Abbott, who was the Liberal federal health minister, who actually went to the federal health department and ran those costings through. Unfortunately, I have to tell you that the costings presented by Mr Stanhope—
Mrs Burke: They are from the government, so that is okay.
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