Mr CONLAN - 2008-09-10
When you put your release out on 30 January 2007, titled ‘NT Hospitals Better Resourced’, you said: ‘Not only is the Territory government providing better health services, but we’re ensuring we have the staff to deliver it’. Did you know that the then RDH Executive Director of Nursing, Professor Di Brown, in respect to nursing shortages to Health management, said in the inquest: ‘You realise your decisions are causing people to be harmed …?’ Did you know that, minister?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I was not aware of those comments that Professor Brown gave in evidence to the Coroner, no. However, in terms of my media release and the message that I had been given, and I will repeat it: this is a government that has invested very heavily in Royal Darwin Hospital since we came to power in 2001 ...
Mr Mills: You are missing the point, it is not about spending.
Dr BURNS: Well, it is about spending, because this is a government …
Mr Mills: It is about getting results.
Dr BURNS: Well, if we want to go back in history to when we came to power in 2001 …
Mr Elferink: This is a result. Do not talk about spending. That is a result.
Dr BURNS: ... the CLP had actually stripped 200 nurses out of the system from, I think it was 1997-98.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member for Port Darwin is waving things around the Chamber. He is interjecting on the minister. The minister, quite legitimately, is responding to a question and the member for Port Darwin, quite deliberately, is trying to interject and interrupt him.
Mr ELFERINK: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker. This is a discussion about spending and results. This is about results, and what I am asking him is: that is a result, what are you doing about it?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, please resume your seat.
Honourable members, you would be aware that, in this Chamber, unless you are on your feet having had the call from the Speaker, you are not allowed to show banners or anything else, and it would include headlines as well. Showing things across the Chamber is out of order.
Minister, please continue.
Dr BURNS: Thank you, Madam Speaker, and I will resume where I left off. The annual report of the Health Department under the CLP clearly shows, between 1996-97 to 1998-99 …
Mr CONLAN: A point of order, Madam Speaker! We can keep dragging back to 2001 and previously. This is 2008, and we have a woman who is dead as a result of staff shortages at Royal Darwin Hospital. It is a shame that the minister is not actually going to take any responsibility for it.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member for Greatorex well knows he is not making a legitimate point of order. He is simply grandstanding on what is a tragic circumstance.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This goes to relevance. The question was asked in a particular way. The minister is not responding to the question at all.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, resume your seat. The minister has the call. There is no point of order.
Dr BURNS: What I am saying is, that the CLP stripped out over 200 nurses from the system. They did not return them, and it was still in that poor state when we came to power in 2001. I will repeat it: we have invested heavily in our staffing across the Territory: 433 extra nurses, 160 extra doctors, and significant extra resources to Royal Darwin Hospital. I can point to where those resources are. We opened Ward 3B, a ward that had been closed by the CLP and put into administration. We have opened up a 24-bed Rapid Admission Unit. We have added 100 beds into Royal Darwin Hospital since we came to power. That is results. We have added 160 extra nursing staff and 60 extra doctors into Royal Darwin Hospital.
My job as minister is to ensure the department is properly resourced to do the job they do. Successive ministers, including yourself and my predecessor, have worked hard to get those extra resources. It is the department’s responsibility to manage those resources ...
Mr CONLAN: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Coroner notes that, in 2006 …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, resume your seat.
Mr CONLAN: … and 2007, that there was no additional money, minister – that is resourcing.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, resume your seat. The minister has already sat down.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I was not aware of those comments that Professor Brown gave in evidence to the Coroner, no. However, in terms of my media release and the message that I had been given, and I will repeat it: this is a government that has invested very heavily in Royal Darwin Hospital since we came to power in 2001 ...
Mr Mills: You are missing the point, it is not about spending.
Dr BURNS: Well, it is about spending, because this is a government …
Mr Mills: It is about getting results.
Dr BURNS: Well, if we want to go back in history to when we came to power in 2001 …
Mr Elferink: This is a result. Do not talk about spending. That is a result.
Dr BURNS: ... the CLP had actually stripped 200 nurses out of the system from, I think it was 1997-98.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member for Port Darwin is waving things around the Chamber. He is interjecting on the minister. The minister, quite legitimately, is responding to a question and the member for Port Darwin, quite deliberately, is trying to interject and interrupt him.
Mr ELFERINK: Speaking to the point of order, Madam Speaker. This is a discussion about spending and results. This is about results, and what I am asking him is: that is a result, what are you doing about it?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, please resume your seat.
Honourable members, you would be aware that, in this Chamber, unless you are on your feet having had the call from the Speaker, you are not allowed to show banners or anything else, and it would include headlines as well. Showing things across the Chamber is out of order.
Minister, please continue.
Dr BURNS: Thank you, Madam Speaker, and I will resume where I left off. The annual report of the Health Department under the CLP clearly shows, between 1996-97 to 1998-99 …
Mr CONLAN: A point of order, Madam Speaker! We can keep dragging back to 2001 and previously. This is 2008, and we have a woman who is dead as a result of staff shortages at Royal Darwin Hospital. It is a shame that the minister is not actually going to take any responsibility for it.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member for Greatorex well knows he is not making a legitimate point of order. He is simply grandstanding on what is a tragic circumstance.
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! This goes to relevance. The question was asked in a particular way. The minister is not responding to the question at all.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Fong Lim, resume your seat. The minister has the call. There is no point of order.
Dr BURNS: What I am saying is, that the CLP stripped out over 200 nurses from the system. They did not return them, and it was still in that poor state when we came to power in 2001. I will repeat it: we have invested heavily in our staffing across the Territory: 433 extra nurses, 160 extra doctors, and significant extra resources to Royal Darwin Hospital. I can point to where those resources are. We opened Ward 3B, a ward that had been closed by the CLP and put into administration. We have opened up a 24-bed Rapid Admission Unit. We have added 100 beds into Royal Darwin Hospital since we came to power. That is results. We have added 160 extra nursing staff and 60 extra doctors into Royal Darwin Hospital.
My job as minister is to ensure the department is properly resourced to do the job they do. Successive ministers, including yourself and my predecessor, have worked hard to get those extra resources. It is the department’s responsibility to manage those resources ...
Mr CONLAN: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Coroner notes that, in 2006 …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, resume your seat.
Mr CONLAN: … and 2007, that there was no additional money, minister – that is resourcing.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, resume your seat. The minister has already sat down.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016