Page 146 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
What I am also asking Katy Gallagher to do, and I think that this is also reasonable, is to assure the Assembly that future election promises are not misleading, because this was. It misled the community. The Canberra Times picked it up. They ran a story. The title of the ABC report was “Walk-in clinic promise ‘misleading’” and “ACT government backtracks on walk-in clinics”. The Canberra Times title was “Government could shut hospital’s walk-in clinic”.
They would not have run that story if it was not a big surprise to them. That ran for about a week and a half or two weeks after the 12 December announcement. It is pretty clear that the media had been fooled by Katy Gallagher, had been conned by Katy Gallagher because they made the mistake that a number of people in this community make. They trusted her.
We have grown a bit wise to her antics here in the ACT Assembly. We know that when she says something it is not necessarily so. But there are people in the media now that probably know when she makes future election commitments to be a little bit more sceptical.
I think that she should do something when she makes future promises. I am happy to agree with this; I think that we should all agree to this. We should assure the Assembly that we are telling the whole truth, that we are not omitting bits of policy announcements. I think that is a pretty reasonable thing to be asking. When you make an election policy you should show us where the money is. Show us where the money is coming from so that we are not scurrying around having to dig things up. If you are saying it is funded, show us where it is funded. I think that is pretty reasonable.
Finally, what is quite clear out of all of this is that she has broken the policy from 2008. She promised this community three walk-in centres. She has delivered one. So that is a broken promise before you even start. Then what we now know is that if she is re-elected, all this community is going to get is two walk-in centres or one and two half centres. Whichever way you look at it, she broke the promise and she should apologise.
MS GALLAGHER (Molonglo—Chief Minister, Minister for Health and Minister for Territory and Municipal Services) (10.56): The government will not be supporting Mr Hanson’s motion today. I have circulated an amendment which I now move:
Omit all words after “That this Assembly”, substitute:
“(1) notes that:
(a) in the lead up to the 2008 election, the Labor Party committed to establishing three walk-in centres;
(b) since that time, extensive consultation and negotiation has taken place with the relevant stakeholders and professional bodies to develop an acceptable model;
(c) in response to that consultation, the Health Directorate implemented the first walk-in centre located at The Canberra Hospital (TCH);
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video