Mr HENDERSON - 2001-06-06
Minister, there are between 50 and 100 people on the waiting list for the multidisciplinary pain clinic at Royal Darwin Hospital and this waiting list is growing daily. Territorians who battle severe and chronic pain as a result of workplace injury and who are addicted to opiates due to these being prescribed for severe and chronic pain are referred to this service.
Can you confirm that as a result of your failure to adequately fund the health budget this year, that the multidisciplinary pain clinic at Royal Darwin Hospital will be shut down as of 30 June this year? Territorians need these services here and now. Why do you deserve another four years when you are closing vital health services?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, there were two questions there. Why do we deserve another four years? I can only reiterate what the Chief Minister said and that is because we tell the truth. So I think if you run specious, erroneous campaigns, including in this House, that is on the permanent public record. If you run them in such a way that you do media grabs and whatever, it is very hard to rebut sometimes, but in this parliament they write down every word we say. I think that in the case of ...
Ms Martin: Let’s talk about the multidisciplinary pain clinic.
Mr DUNHAM: Well, you are on the record saying there is zero appropriated for the Palmerston Health Precinct. Have you read today’s paper? Do you see what we did with no money? You see the zero, what it turned into? I would be very careful if I was you because you are already on the Parliamentary Record.
The second part of the question goes to whether the pain clinic will shut next year. No, it will not.
Can you confirm that as a result of your failure to adequately fund the health budget this year, that the multidisciplinary pain clinic at Royal Darwin Hospital will be shut down as of 30 June this year? Territorians need these services here and now. Why do you deserve another four years when you are closing vital health services?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, there were two questions there. Why do we deserve another four years? I can only reiterate what the Chief Minister said and that is because we tell the truth. So I think if you run specious, erroneous campaigns, including in this House, that is on the permanent public record. If you run them in such a way that you do media grabs and whatever, it is very hard to rebut sometimes, but in this parliament they write down every word we say. I think that in the case of ...
Ms Martin: Let’s talk about the multidisciplinary pain clinic.
Mr DUNHAM: Well, you are on the record saying there is zero appropriated for the Palmerston Health Precinct. Have you read today’s paper? Do you see what we did with no money? You see the zero, what it turned into? I would be very careful if I was you because you are already on the Parliamentary Record.
The second part of the question goes to whether the pain clinic will shut next year. No, it will not.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016