Dr WOODRUFF question to PREMIER, Mr ROCKLIFF
Premier, members across this House have tried for two days to get to the bottom of what is happening in the Health department. We have had no real answers. Reading between the lines and the weasel words, we have exposed that vacancy control will apply to the entire Health department. This includes patient-facing roles. Nurses, doctors, paramedics, allied health and many other critical staff will be impacted by vacancy control. This means a direct impact on patients. There is no way around that fact. Premier, why won’t you be honest with Tasmanians about this basic fact? Is it because your budget tightening in health services further highlights how reckless it is to build a billion-dollar stadium?
Mr ABETZ – Point of order, Speaker.
The SPEAKER – I will take the point of order.
Mr ABETZ – Does the term ‘weasel words’ offend? Standing order 44.
The SPEAKER – Thank you. That is a good question around the language that is used in this House. If the Premier is particularly offended personally by the term ‘weasel words’ he may ask for that to be withdrawn or he may seek to make a personal explanation as to how he has been personally offended by such a thing. I would ask that members be generally careful around the words they use, but remind them that the Standing Orders protect individual members who have been offended by language. The broader statements around behaviours of political parties do allow for a certain level of leniency. The member makes a good point in terms of language and intent of language, but if anyone is personally offended, we can certainly look at that.
I will undertake to have a look at the types of language that have been deemed acceptable and unacceptable in this place and update the House on the tone we would like to see employed here, particularly in light of the outcomes from the motion for respect in this House around the way that we treat each other and therefore the way that staff see people being treated. At this stage, I am not convinced that ‘weasel words’ steps outside of that, but I will undertake to have a bit of a look at the history for the Leader of Government Business.
Dr WOODRUFF – On the point of order, I was seeking to find a descriptive form of language. Maybe the term ‘slippery language’ would have been better than ‘weasel words’. There are many ways to describe not telling the truth.
The SPEAKER – The one thing that you cannot say – and I think members have found ways around it in the past – is to directly accuse somebody of lying, so there is a range of words that are used to indicate that you do not believe things that a member may have said without using the words ‘lying’ and that would be consistent. Premier, unless you are particularly personally offended, I will call you to answer the question.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Thank you, honourable Speaker. I think you have handballed the ruling to me – is that right?
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER – The Premier will refrain from reflecting on the Chair. I merely sought some information. The question before the House is quite serious and I will now remove all levity and the Premier can answer the question.
ANSWER
Honourable Speaker, we all need to be mindful of the language that we use in this place. The Leader of the House has quite rightly questioned the language we use in this place because we want a respectful workplace when it comes to important work on behalf of Tasmanians, including building a health system and continuing to invest in frontline services.
I want to be 100 per cent clear to you, Dr Woodruff, that our modest budget savings measures are not about frontline services. There will be no reductions to nurses, doctors, paramedics, child safety officers or any other frontline positions.
We are investing in these services and I point you to our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future, which clearly says the investment we are making is not only in personnel across our health service but also in infrastructure. The $120 million northern heart centre at the LGH is a great example of our investment in infrastructure, so we are very clear on that.
I also point you to our fiscal strategy, where we are very open, honest and transparent with the Tasmanian community, as any political party should be when coming to an election. It commits us to supporting sustainable public services and working to constrain the annual increase in general government operating expenses to below the long-term average growth in revenue. It is sensible and commits us to not growing back-office State Service numbers on a per capita basis and it clearly states that the Liberals ‘remain committed to improving the provision of services to the community, including the growth in frontline workers.
Supplementary Question
Dr WOODRUFF – A supplementary question, honourable Speaker.
The SPEAKER – I will hear the supplementary question.
Dr WOODRUFF – The question was: ‘Premier, is the vacancy in patient‑facing roles across the whole of the health department due to the fact that you are trying to find money to spend on a billion-dollar stadium instead?’
The SPEAKER – I am sure that the Premier would like to answer that question, so I will rule that one in order. It is still the first question, but I am sure the Premier is comfortable to answer that question.
Mr ROCKLIFF – There is infrastructure that we are investing in, one‑off infrastructure, right throughout Tasmania, whether that be enabling infrastructure when it comes to the stadium –
Dr Woodruff – And all of the people you are paying to do it. All the millions of dollars you are spending on people to do that.
The SPEAKER – Thank you, Leader of the Greens, please. We have managed to get through to the last week of this session without anyone having to either be warned or removed, so let us hold on for one more day.
Dr Woodruff – It could be people saving people’s lives.
The SPEAKER – Leader of the Greens, please stop interrupting.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Enabling infrastructure, roads, bridges, schools, hospitals and stadia, across the state in every single region, supporting grassroots participation in healthy, active lifestyles when it comes to our young people, which is fantastic to see and to invest in. What is also important is recurrent investment ‑ not just one-off – in infrastructure when it comes to our essential services as well, our doctors –
The SPEAKER – The Premier’s time for answering the question has expired.
