Ms WALKER - 2009-08-17
Can you update the House on progress of establishing the Alan Walker Cancer Care Centre in Darwin?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am sitting here listening to the opposition talking about spin, but what about the spin of the member for Port Darwin? He came out here banging his hand on the table, demanding ‘where are the answers to the questions we asked you at Estimates Committee about the cost?’ My colleague, the Minister for Housing gets up and says: ‘Well, you got them about two weeks ago’. Talk about spin!
Members interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: They have a spin master there, and none better than the member for Fong Lim. The ancient Romans said: ‘what you write remains for others to see’. The best spin I have seen is this: ‘Strong economic management delivers cancer care unit’. That was before the election in 2007. When? Where? How? He says, it is really good: ‘Territorians, we have new cancer treatment facilities at the Royal Darwin Hospital …’
A member: What is this? You are not even answering your own question.
Mr VATSKALIS: ‘… following the Howard government’s commitment of $31.5m’.
Mr Tollner interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: He did not, it was only $30m, and then he says: ‘I fought for the oncology unit in Darwin, working closely with the federal government to get the necessary funds’. He did not get even get a brick; he got nothing. The only good thing, I suppose, is he said: ‘’I bet my job on the cancer unit’. Well, with one stone, two birds: we got it, thanks to the Rudd government, and he lost his job.
I am very pleased to say that the Alan Walker Cancer Care Centre is on track – 70 % completed, and it will be operational next year.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: We promised the Cancer Care Centre in 2001. The federal government did not come to the party. The member for Fong Lim then said it would cost between $15m and $20m.
Mr Elferink: You said it. You said it in the 2001 mini-budget, you dill!
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: On 23 April 2006, in the Sunday Territorian, Mr Tollner said he believed between $15m and $20m was needed to deliver it.
Members interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: Let us look at the facts. The federal government and the Territory government put in $90m for the oncology unit, plus $8.9m for the linear accelerators - by the way, they do not create any nuclear waste. Our government is putting in $2m recurrent every year for the operation. We are putting in $1m for Health personnel, and $4m to refurbish the old Masonic Homes facility near the Daly Street bridge in order to accommodate people who will come from all around the Territory to receive the best treatment they can.
The only thing I need to thank the member for Fong Lim for is his statement that from now on Territorians will be treated in the Territory and they do not have to travel somewhere else; in contrast with your member for Greatorex, who still demands people from Alice Springs, or Tennant Creek should travel to anywhere else to receive treatment.
The project is on track. We expect 300 people to be treated in the first year of operation, with the figure to grow up to 360 by 2030.
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! We gave notices until 2.10 pm, and his attempt to shut down Question Time five minutes early just demonstrates the fear that is permeating through this government.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business, are you actually moving to have the Question Time close down?
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, I was under the impression that Question Time had begun at five past, but if the member for Port Darwin had his watch at 2.10 pm, so be it.
Mr ELFERINK: I checked it very carefully, because I knew this stunt had been pulled.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am sitting here listening to the opposition talking about spin, but what about the spin of the member for Port Darwin? He came out here banging his hand on the table, demanding ‘where are the answers to the questions we asked you at Estimates Committee about the cost?’ My colleague, the Minister for Housing gets up and says: ‘Well, you got them about two weeks ago’. Talk about spin!
Members interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: They have a spin master there, and none better than the member for Fong Lim. The ancient Romans said: ‘what you write remains for others to see’. The best spin I have seen is this: ‘Strong economic management delivers cancer care unit’. That was before the election in 2007. When? Where? How? He says, it is really good: ‘Territorians, we have new cancer treatment facilities at the Royal Darwin Hospital …’
A member: What is this? You are not even answering your own question.
Mr VATSKALIS: ‘… following the Howard government’s commitment of $31.5m’.
Mr Tollner interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: He did not, it was only $30m, and then he says: ‘I fought for the oncology unit in Darwin, working closely with the federal government to get the necessary funds’. He did not get even get a brick; he got nothing. The only good thing, I suppose, is he said: ‘’I bet my job on the cancer unit’. Well, with one stone, two birds: we got it, thanks to the Rudd government, and he lost his job.
I am very pleased to say that the Alan Walker Cancer Care Centre is on track – 70 % completed, and it will be operational next year.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: We promised the Cancer Care Centre in 2001. The federal government did not come to the party. The member for Fong Lim then said it would cost between $15m and $20m.
Mr Elferink: You said it. You said it in the 2001 mini-budget, you dill!
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: On 23 April 2006, in the Sunday Territorian, Mr Tollner said he believed between $15m and $20m was needed to deliver it.
Members interjecting.
Mr VATSKALIS: Let us look at the facts. The federal government and the Territory government put in $90m for the oncology unit, plus $8.9m for the linear accelerators - by the way, they do not create any nuclear waste. Our government is putting in $2m recurrent every year for the operation. We are putting in $1m for Health personnel, and $4m to refurbish the old Masonic Homes facility near the Daly Street bridge in order to accommodate people who will come from all around the Territory to receive the best treatment they can.
The only thing I need to thank the member for Fong Lim for is his statement that from now on Territorians will be treated in the Territory and they do not have to travel somewhere else; in contrast with your member for Greatorex, who still demands people from Alice Springs, or Tennant Creek should travel to anywhere else to receive treatment.
The project is on track. We expect 300 people to be treated in the first year of operation, with the figure to grow up to 360 by 2030.
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker! We gave notices until 2.10 pm, and his attempt to shut down Question Time five minutes early just demonstrates the fear that is permeating through this government.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business, are you actually moving to have the Question Time close down?
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, I was under the impression that Question Time had begun at five past, but if the member for Port Darwin had his watch at 2.10 pm, so be it.
Mr ELFERINK: I checked it very carefully, because I knew this stunt had been pulled.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016