Mr CONLAN - 2009-10-15
Yesterday, in an astonishing display, you said in this House that the AMA’s hospital report card was totally inaccurate. The data actually used in the AMA report is data provided by the Northern Territory government to the federal government. Given you have had 24 hours to consider your comments, why did you arrogantly condemn the Australian Medical Association when they were using your own data to show the mess Territory Labor has made of Northern Territory hospitals?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, if the AMA uses the data we provide to the federal government, then I have serious concerns about the methodology they use. As I stated yesterday, in their report, the AMA stated we closed the Gove Hospital maternity ward. We did not. We suspended birthing in Gove for five weeks until Aspen Medical provided the appropriate specialist. Also, the AMA says, somehow, we had 750 beds in 2006-07. We did not. We had 635 beds. Not only did we not reduce them in 2007-08, we actually increased them to 674 beds.
The data used by the AMA is data from 2007-08. In 2007-08, as previously, all the money provided to the states and territories came from the federal government. In 2006-07 and 2007-08, the federal government in Canberra was the Howard Liberal government. That was the government that reduced the ratio from 50:50 - that means for every dollar the federal government put in, the governments in the states and territories put in $1 - to 60:40; 40% provided by the Commonwealth, 60% by the states and, in our case the Northern Territory, because of our special conditions, had to contribute 70% of the hospital funding budget while the federal government contribution dropped to 30% of the health budget.
Is it not surprising that every single state and territory has expressed the same concerns about this report. Yesterday, John Hill, the South Australian Health Minister, expressed the same concerns about the methodology. Today, the New South Wales minister expressed similar concerns about the report. The only one who has put out a media release is the Liberal Minister for Health in Western Australia.
Members interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: He is a doctor, a very good friend of the previous AMA President, Ms Capolingua. Now, the only thing that actually the Western Australia government has done today and published on the front page of The West Australian, is to gag all doctors speaking to the public about the cost cut.
I have repeatedly said in this House, and in public, and been reported by the NT News, that the current level of waiting lists is unacceptable and we will make every effort to reduce it. In 2006-07, for category 3 patients, only 59% of these people would be seen within the recommended time. In 2007-08, that rose to 69% - a 10% increase, which is not reported in the AMA report. Category 2 patients rose from 58% to 59% - marginally, but we are starting to make headway.
Elective surgery patients seen within the recommended time rose from 68.6% to 69%, a marginal rise, but well above the Tasmanian and ACT with similar level health departments.
As I said yesterday, these problems we face because of the cost cutting by the Howard Liberal government are not going to be fixed in one day. And surprise, surprise, yesterday, the Prime Minister said it would not be fixed in one day. This is not a political issue. This is a critical issue for all governments in every state and jurisdiction. It does not matter if it is a Labor government or a Liberal government.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: I am very pleased he actually agrees, because it would be totally stupid not to agree, because that report highlights the cut from the Howard government for all states and territories and that is why the system is in such disrepair all around Australia.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, if the AMA uses the data we provide to the federal government, then I have serious concerns about the methodology they use. As I stated yesterday, in their report, the AMA stated we closed the Gove Hospital maternity ward. We did not. We suspended birthing in Gove for five weeks until Aspen Medical provided the appropriate specialist. Also, the AMA says, somehow, we had 750 beds in 2006-07. We did not. We had 635 beds. Not only did we not reduce them in 2007-08, we actually increased them to 674 beds.
The data used by the AMA is data from 2007-08. In 2007-08, as previously, all the money provided to the states and territories came from the federal government. In 2006-07 and 2007-08, the federal government in Canberra was the Howard Liberal government. That was the government that reduced the ratio from 50:50 - that means for every dollar the federal government put in, the governments in the states and territories put in $1 - to 60:40; 40% provided by the Commonwealth, 60% by the states and, in our case the Northern Territory, because of our special conditions, had to contribute 70% of the hospital funding budget while the federal government contribution dropped to 30% of the health budget.
Is it not surprising that every single state and territory has expressed the same concerns about this report. Yesterday, John Hill, the South Australian Health Minister, expressed the same concerns about the methodology. Today, the New South Wales minister expressed similar concerns about the report. The only one who has put out a media release is the Liberal Minister for Health in Western Australia.
Members interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: He is a doctor, a very good friend of the previous AMA President, Ms Capolingua. Now, the only thing that actually the Western Australia government has done today and published on the front page of The West Australian, is to gag all doctors speaking to the public about the cost cut.
I have repeatedly said in this House, and in public, and been reported by the NT News, that the current level of waiting lists is unacceptable and we will make every effort to reduce it. In 2006-07, for category 3 patients, only 59% of these people would be seen within the recommended time. In 2007-08, that rose to 69% - a 10% increase, which is not reported in the AMA report. Category 2 patients rose from 58% to 59% - marginally, but we are starting to make headway.
Elective surgery patients seen within the recommended time rose from 68.6% to 69%, a marginal rise, but well above the Tasmanian and ACT with similar level health departments.
As I said yesterday, these problems we face because of the cost cutting by the Howard Liberal government are not going to be fixed in one day. And surprise, surprise, yesterday, the Prime Minister said it would not be fixed in one day. This is not a political issue. This is a critical issue for all governments in every state and jurisdiction. It does not matter if it is a Labor government or a Liberal government.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: I am very pleased he actually agrees, because it would be totally stupid not to agree, because that report highlights the cut from the Howard government for all states and territories and that is why the system is in such disrepair all around Australia.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016