Page 1992 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 7 June 2017
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fast-track unit, a dedicated paediatric unit, dedicated specific areas and expanded capacity for ambulances coming into the ambulance bay at Canberra Hospital. We are seeing the benefits of that investment by consistently decreased waiting times in the emergency department, which I am very pleased about.
Of course, the opposition would be the first party to criticise us if we did not plan properly for this significant investment in the SPIRE centre at the Canberra Hospital. Work is underway at the moment around the territory-wide health services planning process. This is a very important point. We know that our city is growing. We won an election last year based on our plans to invest in the services that a growing community needs. As the Chief Minister has said, and as is clear to all members, that plan was overwhelmingly endorsed by the Canberra community, in health, education, transport and community services.
What we will do over the next year is continue the very important work around territory-wide planning of our health services. That will align very closely with the opening of the University of Canberra public hospital, because that significant new rehabilitation hospital will mean we can dedicate services at a rehabilitation hospital to specifically treating people for their rehabilitation needs. That will take some pressure off Canberra Hospital and Calvary hospital, as well as our community health centres. As we roll out that planning, we are doing that work as we speak. Madam Speaker, as the opposition knows, Canberra Hospital—(Time expired.)
MS LEE: Minister, is this government so cash strapped that it cannot bring construction of SPIRE, a high-priority infrastructure project, forward?
MS FITZHARRIS: It just goes to show, really, the ignorance of the opposition in understanding what it will take to plan, design and build such a significant piece of infrastructure. We are getting planning underway—
Opposition members interjecting—
MS FITZHARRIS: Again, Madam Speaker, it just goes to show that they have been so far removed from the important job of actually delivering major projects. A major project of this scale—
Opposition members interjecting—
MS FITZHARRIS: The planning for the SPIRE centre, which is a significant improvement on a proposal that the Canberra Liberals took from goodness knows where: there was no planning in any of the proposals that they took to the election last year whatsoever—
Opposition members interjecting—
MS FITZHARRIS: They say they stole one from the government that was seven or eight years old. If that is the best you can do, it obviously did not work. We will do the very important work. If anyone in the opposition can deliver a major infrastructure
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