Page 970 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 17 March 2010
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Obviously there are good reasons why the Greens would look after motions to make sure that they are palatable for the government, because it is in their best interest to do it. But whether it is in the best interest of the community and whether it is in the best interest of cancer sufferers is the broader question.
What we are seeing is, increasingly, the Greens behaving like simply another faction of the Labor Party. The Labor Party seems to have many factions these days, both left and right and then splits through the right, and it certainly gets too confusing for me to quite understand. But certainly the close friendship between the two members of the Labor Party here, Mr Barr and Mr Hargreaves, seems to be somewhat fractured. I do not know what faction you are in, John. We have a faction of one, it would appear. Maybe there are seven factions in the Labor Party.
But what is clear, though, is that, with regard to those members of the Labor Party on the right, the Greens now appear to be closer to Simon Corbell and Katy Gallagher than to Andrew Barr, John Hargreaves and others. So you have got this blurring of this centre left alliance going on in the ACT.
There was the debacle of Ms Bresnan, having moved her amendment and having spoken to her amendment, trying to speak again. I just remind Ms Bresnan that, if you have already spoken to your amendment, just because Mr Smyth says something and you think, “I forgot to say something. I want to respond to that. I am going to seek leave to speak again when I have already spoken to my amendment,” you cannot. You should understand the forms of the place. That did not cover you in much glory, did it?
What my motion has, which is completely missed by Ms Bresnan, is condemnation of the minister.
Mrs Dunne: Because we could not bring ourselves to do that.
MR HANSON: They certainly cannot, Mrs Dunne. They are unable to ever say anything that might interfere with their budget negotiations with the Treasurer or Mr Rattenbury does not want to interfere with what might be an eagerly anticipated vote by some on the other side when it comes to the job of Speaker. But across the board we have seen a failure by this government and by this minister in the management of the health portfolio.
You need to look at the elective surgery waiting times, the emergency department waiting times, both of which, in key categories, are the worst in the nation—in some cases, double the national average. You need to look at GP numbers, which are the lowest per capita in Australia; bulk-billing rates, which are the lowest in Australia; the toxic culture and the bullying that we have seen arising at the Canberra Hospital; the failed Calvary deal, the deal that the minister was unable to deliver; the handling of the TB case; and what we see in oncology. So there is no question that she is not up to the job. What we are seeing is a failure in leadership, a failure to actually do her job.
The second point condemning the minister was a failure to ensure that communication procedures in ACT Health are effective. And this is not fantasy. This is fact. And she
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