Page 2150 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 5 June 2019
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I do not think there is anyone in Canberra who does not know someone who has used our health facilities. I am sure it is impossible. Family members, friends, neighbours, us—we go to community health centres; we go to the nurse walk-in centre; we may have been to the hospital, for ourselves, for the birth of a child, for our children or for our parents. We have all been users of this health infrastructure. And we are all entitled to ask questions about it without casting aspersions upon someone and suggesting that they are nearing the end of their useful life. It is completely inappropriate, however amusing those opposite might find it.
In the olden days, when I was a bit younger, we used to refer to “women of a certain age”, which is also a terrible term. This is exactly the implication that Ms Fitzharris made today when she talked about Mrs Dunne as being someone potentially reaching the end of their useful life. It is absolutely appalling and it is distasteful. It is just not becoming for someone who would like to see themselves as a senior member of the government.
This issue of health infrastructure should be top of mind. We all know that critical assets are reaching the end of their useful life. It is not a joking matter, however those opposite might strive to frame it. It is a serious matter. It has been identified in review after review. To speak about the longest serving member of this Assembly in such disparaging terms is entirely inappropriate. I call upon Ms Fitzharris to withdraw her comments and I commend Mrs Dunne’s motion to the Assembly.
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (4.29): I am not surprised that we are in this situation today. The minister for health has form on this, and she fulfilled the form in her usual style, with the usual grace that she does, by circulating an amendment after I got to my feet to move a motion. There was one occasion recently, in relation to the hydrotherapy pool, when the minister had the courtesy to circulate her amendment before the debate started. But that was the exception to the rule. And, with her usual grace, she waited until I was on my feet and then circulated close to two pages of an amendment.
This actually casts a true picture of the character of the minister. She cannot engage. She does not take an opportunity to engage. She never took up the opportunity to be collaborative in this space. She spends her time criticising the Liberal Party. Yes, she can smirk all she likes, but I put it on the record again that when I became the shadow minister for health and I eventually got a ministerial briefing, some months after I asked for it, I sat in the minister’s office and I said to her in the following terms: “I’ve been doing this job long enough that I don’t need to take everything out into the media to get something done. I would like to work in this space collaboratively because I understand how difficult it is. And if there is ever an occasion when you feel the need to pick up the phone or come to my office and say we have got a problem I will deal with this in a collaborative way.” She has never once taken me up on that offer.
There have been occasions, many occasions, when I have knocked on the minister’s door and said, “This has come across my desk. You might like to know about this.” On a regular basis I draw to the attention of the minister things that constituents tell
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