Mr STIRLING - 1996-05-22
Last Thursday, we debated the new Aboriginal Health policy, a policy that received praise from both sides of this House. I would suggest that our joy on that occasion would appear to have been short-lived. That document, about which we were so enthusiastic just one week ago, stressed again and again the need to deliver funds effectively and efficiently to ensure that every dollar spent paid dividends. The internal document tabled by the minister
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yesterday reveals that the minister has fallen far short of achieving anything near this efficiency. In fact, the document highlights an 'inability to support effective executive and management decision-making and strategic planning', and hence 'inability to determine efficiency and effectiveness of services, the unit cost of service delivery, and ensure resources are allocated to achieve maximum health gains for dollars expended'. The fact is that, for many years, the Country Liberal Party government has not had a clue whether or not any of the money spent on Aboriginal health has been used efficiently or effectively to do the job. Of what possible use is a policy document, such as the one tabled by the minister last week which we all applauded, when this secret, internal document reveals to all Territorians that this department is completely unable to support such a policy?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, there is nothing secret about the document.
Mr Bailey: The media got hold of it, therefore you tabled it. It was secret until then.
Mr FINCH: The member is becoming a little overexcited. Let me make 3 points about the document. The first is that it is not secret. The second is that it is old.
Mr Bailey: It was secret until today.
Mr FINCH: It led to $16m-worth of information technology. It is old.
Mr Bailey: It does not matter then.
Mr FINCH: It is history. I will give you reports from 20 years ago which talk about the health status of people in the system.
Mr Bailey: Nothing has changed.
Mr FINCH: I will give you some reports from 40 years ago. It is nonsense.
The third point about the document is that the same departmental officers who contributed to that particular report clarified some of those comments. That is why I believe it is very dangerous for the government ever to give members opposite any documentation because, quite deliberately and regardless of the facts delivered to them, they always seek to make mischief out of such documents. I do not regret in the least that the document has been made public.
Mr Bailey: No, because you can blame the previous minister. You will say that it is all his fault.
Mr FINCH: Absolutely. The previous minister was, in fact, responsible in Cabinet for securing the $2m to do the work that led to this $14m being allocated over 3 years. Therefore, I am not sure of the real context of the question. However, if the member wants to reflect on the Aboriginal Health Strategy, I take him back to what I said the other day, that this CLP government spends over 50% of its health budget on 25% of its constituents.
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I would like the other $27m from the Commonwealth, that the Grants Commission assesses we are entitled to. People living in downtown Melbourne have access to at least the average Medicare service. A report in the paper the other day referred to access to doctors by Territorians. The article stated that access was about one-third of that found interstate, yet our health status is far worse. I will not go over the debate of the other day. The member for Arnhem may butt in. If he had been here, he would have heard the debate. I suggest that he go back and read not just the statement but all of the debate. It will take him a little time, but it will do some good for his own constituents.
A member: He is embarrassed.
Mr FINCH: We are not embarrassed in the least. This government is open. We are not trying to hide any of the facts. We do not try to hide the health status of Aboriginal people.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is far too much chatter in the Chamber. I am attempting to hear what the minister has to say and I am sure other people are interested. I would appreciate a little less chatter.
Mr FINCH: Mr Speaker, this government has moved already to rectify the communications and information system. Secondly, our government is the first in the country to set out a well-considered strategy to further improve the health status of our Aboriginal people.
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yesterday reveals that the minister has fallen far short of achieving anything near this efficiency. In fact, the document highlights an 'inability to support effective executive and management decision-making and strategic planning', and hence 'inability to determine efficiency and effectiveness of services, the unit cost of service delivery, and ensure resources are allocated to achieve maximum health gains for dollars expended'. The fact is that, for many years, the Country Liberal Party government has not had a clue whether or not any of the money spent on Aboriginal health has been used efficiently or effectively to do the job. Of what possible use is a policy document, such as the one tabled by the minister last week which we all applauded, when this secret, internal document reveals to all Territorians that this department is completely unable to support such a policy?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, there is nothing secret about the document.
Mr Bailey: The media got hold of it, therefore you tabled it. It was secret until then.
Mr FINCH: The member is becoming a little overexcited. Let me make 3 points about the document. The first is that it is not secret. The second is that it is old.
Mr Bailey: It was secret until today.
Mr FINCH: It led to $16m-worth of information technology. It is old.
Mr Bailey: It does not matter then.
Mr FINCH: It is history. I will give you reports from 20 years ago which talk about the health status of people in the system.
Mr Bailey: Nothing has changed.
Mr FINCH: I will give you some reports from 40 years ago. It is nonsense.
The third point about the document is that the same departmental officers who contributed to that particular report clarified some of those comments. That is why I believe it is very dangerous for the government ever to give members opposite any documentation because, quite deliberately and regardless of the facts delivered to them, they always seek to make mischief out of such documents. I do not regret in the least that the document has been made public.
Mr Bailey: No, because you can blame the previous minister. You will say that it is all his fault.
Mr FINCH: Absolutely. The previous minister was, in fact, responsible in Cabinet for securing the $2m to do the work that led to this $14m being allocated over 3 years. Therefore, I am not sure of the real context of the question. However, if the member wants to reflect on the Aboriginal Health Strategy, I take him back to what I said the other day, that this CLP government spends over 50% of its health budget on 25% of its constituents.
Page 1406
I would like the other $27m from the Commonwealth, that the Grants Commission assesses we are entitled to. People living in downtown Melbourne have access to at least the average Medicare service. A report in the paper the other day referred to access to doctors by Territorians. The article stated that access was about one-third of that found interstate, yet our health status is far worse. I will not go over the debate of the other day. The member for Arnhem may butt in. If he had been here, he would have heard the debate. I suggest that he go back and read not just the statement but all of the debate. It will take him a little time, but it will do some good for his own constituents.
A member: He is embarrassed.
Mr FINCH: We are not embarrassed in the least. This government is open. We are not trying to hide any of the facts. We do not try to hide the health status of Aboriginal people.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is far too much chatter in the Chamber. I am attempting to hear what the minister has to say and I am sure other people are interested. I would appreciate a little less chatter.
Mr FINCH: Mr Speaker, this government has moved already to rectify the communications and information system. Secondly, our government is the first in the country to set out a well-considered strategy to further improve the health status of our Aboriginal people.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016