Page 1991 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 7 June 2017
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Mrs Dunne: On the point of order, I did not ask a question about investment. I asked a question about easing capacity. The minister is required under—
MADAM SPEAKER: If I may finish what I was about to say, Mrs Dunne, before you were very quick to your feet, the minister has spoken about investment around health services broadly. She has a minute left and she will get to her feet and she will be allowed to conclude her answer. I do not believe there is a point of order, Mrs Dunne.
Mrs Dunne: There is a point of order. On the point of order, Madam Speaker, the standing orders require the minister to be directly relevant to the question. The question was about easing capacity. It was not about investment; it was not about what they have promised to do but what they will do in the future. The minister is required to be directly relevant.
MADAM SPEAKER: As I have said, I do not believe there is a point of order. If you want to challenge that, feel free, Mrs Dunne. The minister has a minute left and she will continue.
MS FITZHARRIS: Thank you, Madam Speaker. In what world easing capacity is not done by investing, I do not know. But if the Canberra Liberals cannot understand that very simple, basic premise, and if they had listened and allowed me to finish, to talk about the investments that we have made in the health system, $900 million over the last decade—
Mrs Jones: It is not about money in; outcomes!
MS FITZHARRIS: It is not about money; it is not about investment, but what are we going to do to fix capacity? I reject the assumption in Mrs Dunne’s question that she makes about our health system. I remind members that our plan involves primary care, prevention, community-based care, acute care and specialist care. We will next year open the University of Canberra public hospital, a dedicated rehabilitation hospital that will take significant pressure off the Canberra Hospital. It will allow people to have dedicated rehabilitation services in a dedicated purpose-built facility in your own electorate, Mrs Dunne. This significant new investment in health services will be in your own electorate.
In yesterday’s budget we also announced $17 million for upgrading—(Time expired.)
MRS DUNNE: Minister, what forecasting has the government done to factor in population growth and its impact on waiting time trends for patients accessing SPIRE treatment over the next five or six years?
MS FITZHARRIS: One thing I can tell you is that waiting times are coming down significantly, at the Canberra Hospital emergency department in particular. That is because this government made a $23 million investment in upgrading the emergency department, which opened in December last year, which now has a dedicated
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