Mr MILLS - 2009-05-07
Yesterday and today you told us that you have read this report. I turn your attention to page 45 in the report. You are trying to seriously tell us that you have read this report and that you are taking health seriously? Read the report.
Members: What is the question?
Mr MILLS: The question is: minister, I refer you to the answer given by the previous Health Minister on 28 November last year regarding systemic security failures at RDH that led, sadly and tragically, to the rape of a baby. In that response the former minister said:
He also said:
… there is to be no more foot dragging …
Will you identify in the budget announced on Tuesday where the $1m is allocated to fix the wide range of security problems at RDH?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the children the Leader of the Opposition talks about who went missing on 15 and 16 September 2008 …
Mr Elferink: You just said that they were not in the report.
Mr VATSKALIS: Just a minute. Those children were actually taken by their parents. Second, the focus of this report is for the unjustified use of restraint and detention.
The Leader of the Opposition said clearly that this tabled report was about the missing children. That is not the case. This report is the unjustified use of restraint and detention …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: Madam Speaker, this is the usual effort by the opposition, picking isolated paragraphs and making a false story of it.
Mr Elferink: You just said it was not in the report.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: This is about the unjustified use of restraint and detention, according to the Ombudsman’s opinion.
With $1m identified, the hospital has done a lot of work. First of all, we employed Mr O’Sullivan. Do you remember Mr O’Sullivan? He is the one who did the police report. Mr O’Sullivan did the review of the Royal Darwin Hospital, and I personally instructed him to do a review of all the children’s wards in hospitals in the Northern Territory. The report to us highlighted some issues. These highlighted issues have been addressed by the hospital. Some of these were the installation of security cameras; and of signing in and signing out of children and who would be responsible for this. We have done that. We did that four or five months ago. It has nothing to do with this report the Ombudsman provided me. This is another issue ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr Giles: $800 000 for Labor candidates but no money for RDH …
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: A significant amount of money goes to RDH. As a matter of fact, we are criticised by the member for Greatorex for putting too much money into RDH. I well recall he was reported in the media saying we spend too much money on RDH. On the one hand, we spend too much money in RDH and, on the other, we are criticised for not spending enough. Where is the logic? Do you not talk to each other? Do you not get together in the Caucus and talk to each other about what you are going to say …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: The Leader of the Opposition today did not know about the stunt that the member for Fong Lim would pull ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr VATSKALIS: He was so uninformed he even missed the division.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, resume your seat.
Mr MILLS: Madam Speaker, I am here to help, from the opposition. I am simply asking you to draw the member’s attention to the nub of the question: please show us where the $1m is in the budget that was tabled on Tuesday.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, if you can come to the point fairly quickly.
Mr VATSKALIS: Madam Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition obviously does not understand the budget. He could not even add his own figures. This was done; it was Budget 2008-09 and the money had been spent ...
Mr Henderson: Last year’s budget.
Mr VATSKALIS: Last year’s budget. We have already done it. I extend once again the invitation that we go together to Royal Darwin Hospital and I will show you exactly where the money has been spent. If you are game enough, come with me.
Members: What is the question?
Mr MILLS: The question is: minister, I refer you to the answer given by the previous Health Minister on 28 November last year regarding systemic security failures at RDH that led, sadly and tragically, to the rape of a baby. In that response the former minister said:
- I have instructed the CEO of Health that a budget of $1m should be against the implementation of these recommendations.
He also said:
… there is to be no more foot dragging …
Will you identify in the budget announced on Tuesday where the $1m is allocated to fix the wide range of security problems at RDH?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the children the Leader of the Opposition talks about who went missing on 15 and 16 September 2008 …
Mr Elferink: You just said that they were not in the report.
Mr VATSKALIS: Just a minute. Those children were actually taken by their parents. Second, the focus of this report is for the unjustified use of restraint and detention.
The Leader of the Opposition said clearly that this tabled report was about the missing children. That is not the case. This report is the unjustified use of restraint and detention …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: Madam Speaker, this is the usual effort by the opposition, picking isolated paragraphs and making a false story of it.
Mr Elferink: You just said it was not in the report.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: This is about the unjustified use of restraint and detention, according to the Ombudsman’s opinion.
With $1m identified, the hospital has done a lot of work. First of all, we employed Mr O’Sullivan. Do you remember Mr O’Sullivan? He is the one who did the police report. Mr O’Sullivan did the review of the Royal Darwin Hospital, and I personally instructed him to do a review of all the children’s wards in hospitals in the Northern Territory. The report to us highlighted some issues. These highlighted issues have been addressed by the hospital. Some of these were the installation of security cameras; and of signing in and signing out of children and who would be responsible for this. We have done that. We did that four or five months ago. It has nothing to do with this report the Ombudsman provided me. This is another issue ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr Giles: $800 000 for Labor candidates but no money for RDH …
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: A significant amount of money goes to RDH. As a matter of fact, we are criticised by the member for Greatorex for putting too much money into RDH. I well recall he was reported in the media saying we spend too much money on RDH. On the one hand, we spend too much money in RDH and, on the other, we are criticised for not spending enough. Where is the logic? Do you not talk to each other? Do you not get together in the Caucus and talk to each other about what you are going to say …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: The Leader of the Opposition today did not know about the stunt that the member for Fong Lim would pull ...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr VATSKALIS: He was so uninformed he even missed the division.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, resume your seat.
Mr MILLS: Madam Speaker, I am here to help, from the opposition. I am simply asking you to draw the member’s attention to the nub of the question: please show us where the $1m is in the budget that was tabled on Tuesday.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, if you can come to the point fairly quickly.
Mr VATSKALIS: Madam Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition obviously does not understand the budget. He could not even add his own figures. This was done; it was Budget 2008-09 and the money had been spent ...
Mr Henderson: Last year’s budget.
Mr VATSKALIS: Last year’s budget. We have already done it. I extend once again the invitation that we go together to Royal Darwin Hospital and I will show you exactly where the money has been spent. If you are game enough, come with me.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016