Mr RIOLI - 1998-11-25
I refer the minister to the contract his department let to the interstate company Kwikasair to transport soiled hospital linen from Tennant Creek, to be cleaned in Alice Springs. This move cost 3 public sector workers their jobs. Is it not true that the private company has been so late in collecting the linen that on many occasions it has arrived at the Alice Springs laundry crawling with maggots? The filthy state of the linen has caused staff to vomit.
Before the privatisation of this service, the linen was laundered efficiently by public servants. There were no maggots and no vomit. Why does the minister claim private companies will out-perform public sector hospital workers when this example, and many more like it, shows that this is not true?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am alarmed and concerned at the comments from the member for Arafura about that particular contract. I have not been briefed on that situation. I will certainly chase it up and find out what are the true facts. But surely, in all basic intelligence, you’re not going to run a line that a contract that might be failing at the moment in Tennant Creek can be extrapolated to show that all private contracts, whether they be health or otherwise, where they involve the public service, are no good.
I will tell you that $60m of Territory Health Services money is spent on non-government organisations, who deliver a wide range of services on behalf of Territory Health Services. You might pick a laundry contract. Why don’t we pick the Salvation Army? Why don’t we pick Carpentaria Disability Services? Why don’t we pick Somerville? Are you seriously suggesting …
Mrs Hickey interjected.
Mr BURKE: Non-government, not for profit, for profit, these are all the options we’re looking at. Don’t run to Territorians saying that we’re going for one model and we’ve already made our mind up. But if you want to say that only the public service can deliver the sorts of model you’re talking about, be fair and honest and go out there and tell the Carpentarias and Somervilles of this world that is the case. Go and tell Radiant, if you like, who have the laundry contract for Darwin Private, that they are incompetent
It is a nonsense question but I’ll certainly follow up the accusations about that contract.
Before the privatisation of this service, the linen was laundered efficiently by public servants. There were no maggots and no vomit. Why does the minister claim private companies will out-perform public sector hospital workers when this example, and many more like it, shows that this is not true?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am alarmed and concerned at the comments from the member for Arafura about that particular contract. I have not been briefed on that situation. I will certainly chase it up and find out what are the true facts. But surely, in all basic intelligence, you’re not going to run a line that a contract that might be failing at the moment in Tennant Creek can be extrapolated to show that all private contracts, whether they be health or otherwise, where they involve the public service, are no good.
I will tell you that $60m of Territory Health Services money is spent on non-government organisations, who deliver a wide range of services on behalf of Territory Health Services. You might pick a laundry contract. Why don’t we pick the Salvation Army? Why don’t we pick Carpentaria Disability Services? Why don’t we pick Somerville? Are you seriously suggesting …
Mrs Hickey interjected.
Mr BURKE: Non-government, not for profit, for profit, these are all the options we’re looking at. Don’t run to Territorians saying that we’re going for one model and we’ve already made our mind up. But if you want to say that only the public service can deliver the sorts of model you’re talking about, be fair and honest and go out there and tell the Carpentarias and Somervilles of this world that is the case. Go and tell Radiant, if you like, who have the laundry contract for Darwin Private, that they are incompetent
It is a nonsense question but I’ll certainly follow up the accusations about that contract.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016