Ms SCRYMGOUR - 2012-05-02
The Henderson government is delivering a responsible budget to continue our record investment in health. Can you please update the House, and Territorians, on what Budget 2012-13 delivers to support Territory families with affordable and quality healthcare?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am going to speak very slowly so the member for Fong Lim can understand. He is intelligence-challenged, Madam Speaker ...
Mr Tollner: I do not think it is just me.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim!
Mr VATSKALIS: Our government continues the record spending in health. Our government has made an investment in health and will continue to do so. This year, a record of $550m is committed for a Top End and Central Australia hospital network, $335m for Royal Darwin Hospital, $147m for Alice Springs Hospital, $33m for Katherine, $24m for Gove, $14m for Tennant Creek Hospital, and $10m for services to Palmerston Hospital, the hospital I suspect the Leader of the Opposition is going to stop, exactly the same as the Baillieu government did in Victoria. The warning bells have already been sounded. He questions why we are doing it so quickly, why we need it, and says we should reconsider the health budget.
A total of $111m is allocated for continuous upgrades to our hospitals. There is $22m for expansion of the emergency department at Royal Darwin Hospital; $24m already spent on the new emergency department in Alice Springs; $40m to continue the safety program with fire protection, air-conditioning and remediation work; $3.7m for Tennant Creek Hospital for the emergency department; the short-stay facility at Royal Darwin Hospital; and $7.7m for Katherine to be exactly the same as Royal Darwin Hospital.
Since 2002, we have employed 780 nurses and 255 doctors. I was concerned by the statement of the Leader of the Opposition today when he said anyone who is being paid more than $110 000 will get the chop ...
Mr Tollner: He did not. That is misleading. That is absolute rubbish.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: Madam Speaker, that means most of our nurses, our midwives, our doctors, closing down the Alan Walker Cancer Care Centre ...
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr VATSKALIS: ... because these people ...
Madam SPEAKER: Please pause, minister.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Speaker, the minister is clearly misleading the House and I ask you to get him back to the question in hand.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, if you can come to the health budget, please?
Mr VATSKALIS: I am. It is very important about the budget, because ...
Madam SPEAKER: If you could just come to the health budget, please?
Mr VATSKALIS: ... the statement was clear. Many people here heard exactly the same. He said very clearly he will look at everybody paid more than $110 000. That means our teachers, our doctors, our nurses, our specialists and our police. We have made a significant investment in health and have received dividends. There is a four-and-a-half year improvement in life expectancy of Aboriginal women; the 37% Indigenous infant mortality rate is going down ...
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I am going to speak very slowly so the member for Fong Lim can understand. He is intelligence-challenged, Madam Speaker ...
Mr Tollner: I do not think it is just me.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim!
Mr VATSKALIS: Our government continues the record spending in health. Our government has made an investment in health and will continue to do so. This year, a record of $550m is committed for a Top End and Central Australia hospital network, $335m for Royal Darwin Hospital, $147m for Alice Springs Hospital, $33m for Katherine, $24m for Gove, $14m for Tennant Creek Hospital, and $10m for services to Palmerston Hospital, the hospital I suspect the Leader of the Opposition is going to stop, exactly the same as the Baillieu government did in Victoria. The warning bells have already been sounded. He questions why we are doing it so quickly, why we need it, and says we should reconsider the health budget.
A total of $111m is allocated for continuous upgrades to our hospitals. There is $22m for expansion of the emergency department at Royal Darwin Hospital; $24m already spent on the new emergency department in Alice Springs; $40m to continue the safety program with fire protection, air-conditioning and remediation work; $3.7m for Tennant Creek Hospital for the emergency department; the short-stay facility at Royal Darwin Hospital; and $7.7m for Katherine to be exactly the same as Royal Darwin Hospital.
Since 2002, we have employed 780 nurses and 255 doctors. I was concerned by the statement of the Leader of the Opposition today when he said anyone who is being paid more than $110 000 will get the chop ...
Mr Tollner: He did not. That is misleading. That is absolute rubbish.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: Madam Speaker, that means most of our nurses, our midwives, our doctors, closing down the Alan Walker Cancer Care Centre ...
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr VATSKALIS: ... because these people ...
Madam SPEAKER: Please pause, minister.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Speaker, the minister is clearly misleading the House and I ask you to get him back to the question in hand.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, if you can come to the health budget, please?
Mr VATSKALIS: I am. It is very important about the budget, because ...
Madam SPEAKER: If you could just come to the health budget, please?
Mr VATSKALIS: ... the statement was clear. Many people here heard exactly the same. He said very clearly he will look at everybody paid more than $110 000. That means our teachers, our doctors, our nurses, our specialists and our police. We have made a significant investment in health and have received dividends. There is a four-and-a-half year improvement in life expectancy of Aboriginal women; the 37% Indigenous infant mortality rate is going down ...
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016