Page 3151 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 22 August 2012
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Mr Speaker, the Liberals have maintained that scrutiny that we are talking about throughout this whole sorry saga over the last four years and will continue to do so. We have already heard the long list of failures in the ACT health system. They go back for several years and certainly cover the entire time of this health minister’s tenure—the length of which she herself has publicly questioned.
We have heard the longstanding questions over the lack of accurate data. We have heard allegations of possible bullying. But we have also seen little interest on the part of this minister in doing anything about any of this.
The Auditor-General’s summary commented:
The executive’s rationale for manipulating records was that they felt under significant pressure to improve the publicly reported performance information.
The auditor found:
Managerial pressure was placed on the executive to improve the performance of the Emergency Department.
So who in management was applying the pressure? And why didn’t the Chief Minister try to find out? Is it because she knew who it was? Or is it that she does not care what pressures are placed on the staff? And do the Greens care about any of this? Do the Greens care about proper scrutiny of this government when there are questions asked—and not questions asked by the Greens to back up that scrutiny that is so required?
History is repeating itself. The Chief Minister did not care in 2004 when bullying was occurring in Canberra’s educational institutions while she was minister in charge of the education portfolio. We have heard of the Chief Minister’s unwillingness to follow up on concerns from staff. She did not follow it up then, and she did not follow it up this time either.
We have heard her consistent denials of anything amiss and attempts to blame it all on the Liberals. As we have read, the Auditor-General’s finding is that indeed the Liberals did not make it up; that there was data tampering; and that there was more than one person responsible. For the Attorney-General to say here this afternoon that there was only one person responsible is a fabrication and a lie when you have a look at what the Auditor-General’s report has stated.
Mr Corbell: Point of order, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: One moment, Mr Doszpot. Stop the clock, thank you.
Mr Corbell: If Mr Doszpot wants to call me a liar, he can move a substantive motion. Otherwise, he should withdraw the comment.
MR SPEAKER: Yes; that is reasonably clear. Mr Doszpot, I ask you to withdraw.
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