Mr CONLAN - 2010-02-25
Further to the member for Arafura’s question about the unqualified doctor in Alice Springs, when did you find out this person was not qualified? When did your CEO find out this person was not qualified? How did it happen in the first place? Will you take responsibility for what is happening and a potential life-threatening situation unfolding in Alice Springs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I always suspected the member for Greatorex had no idea about health services; he has now confirmed it. He asks me to take responsibility for the approval of a doctor, when he should know that every doctor who seeks registration is registered by a medical board, which is a statutory independent body, not subject to the direction of the minister.
We discovered yesterday that the person was not qualified.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Conlan: A culture of cover-up and hiding behind your bureaucrats, that is all you do.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex! Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: We …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex! Order!
A member: When were you told? When was the CEO told?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: Madam Speaker, it was confirmed by the University of Adelaide yesterday that the person had fraudulent qualifications. Yesterday, we called the police; the CEO was told about it yesterday, and yesterday that person was arrested.
The advice I received from the medical board was his fraudulent qualifications were near perfect. The board which assesses all qualifications and, in many cases, has rejected qualifications by doctors, in this case, was tricked into believing the qualifications were correct. The references led them to believe the person was genuine, and of course the board had to register the doctor. Doctors are not registered by departments; they are not registered by hospitals. We rely on the advice of an independent …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex! Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: It was our health staff in Alice Springs who first observed that this person did not meet the criteria. It was our staff who sought confirmation from the university, and it was our staff who received the information that the person was not genuine. It was our staff who contacted the police. It was our staff …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: Madam Speaker, it is surprising that you have people over there who are supposed to know everything about health, and they do not have the intelligence to look at the act, to determine the role and responsibility of the board, and what is has to do with the Health department. He must be the only spokesman for health in Australia who has no idea about the legislation that governs medical boards. This is another thing that indicates the legislation we passed yesterday, the national law, is one step forward to avoid the repeat of a similar incident.
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I always suspected the member for Greatorex had no idea about health services; he has now confirmed it. He asks me to take responsibility for the approval of a doctor, when he should know that every doctor who seeks registration is registered by a medical board, which is a statutory independent body, not subject to the direction of the minister.
We discovered yesterday that the person was not qualified.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Conlan: A culture of cover-up and hiding behind your bureaucrats, that is all you do.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex! Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: We …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex! Order!
A member: When were you told? When was the CEO told?
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: Madam Speaker, it was confirmed by the University of Adelaide yesterday that the person had fraudulent qualifications. Yesterday, we called the police; the CEO was told about it yesterday, and yesterday that person was arrested.
The advice I received from the medical board was his fraudulent qualifications were near perfect. The board which assesses all qualifications and, in many cases, has rejected qualifications by doctors, in this case, was tricked into believing the qualifications were correct. The references led them to believe the person was genuine, and of course the board had to register the doctor. Doctors are not registered by departments; they are not registered by hospitals. We rely on the advice of an independent …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Greatorex! Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: It was our health staff in Alice Springs who first observed that this person did not meet the criteria. It was our staff who sought confirmation from the university, and it was our staff who received the information that the person was not genuine. It was our staff who contacted the police. It was our staff …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr VATSKALIS: Madam Speaker, it is surprising that you have people over there who are supposed to know everything about health, and they do not have the intelligence to look at the act, to determine the role and responsibility of the board, and what is has to do with the Health department. He must be the only spokesman for health in Australia who has no idea about the legislation that governs medical boards. This is another thing that indicates the legislation we passed yesterday, the national law, is one step forward to avoid the repeat of a similar incident.
Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016